A Demon's Light
by Jedi Heathcliff
Summary: Luke ordered Maz to raise a specially powerful child in only the Light. Maz kept her in the forests of Takodana to shield her from all darkness. But when Kylo Ren takes her to the First Order to keep her close, how long will her light last? (Kylo Ren/OC)
1. Prologue

**A Demon's Light**

 **Prologue**

Luke Skywalker stared at the young boy of fifteen for quite some time. He kept a watchful eye over him ever since he showed signs of residing the Dark Side in him. Fear of him falling from the Light made Luke question his sister's and best friend's decision to have him train their son. It was becoming clearer that he lacked enough ways to pull a padawan so lost back to the Light. It didn't matter what he said, what he did in their training; the boy simply couldn't see the Light. He had it in him, that was definite, but it was fading.

And fading fast.

The old Jedi Master sat on a bench just outside the academy. Though it's so large and fitting for hundreds of students, he had very few to train. But all had great potential. Especially Ben who now wore a dark robe that was not of the academy, but of a cult he wasn't sure he knew.

As if the boy heard his uncle's thoughts, he looked over. Luke didn't turn away from being caught staring, he merely stared into his nephew's eyes; searching for the Light, willing him to know that he was loved in ways he couldn't ever imagine. But none of this was enough, for Ben turned away from his uncle's loving stare with a rage burning in his eyes. Not because of Luke, but because the Dark Side taught him that anger was stronger than compassion.

The boy stalked off, his tall figure disappearing around the corner of the academy. Luke rubbed his temples, praying to the Force something miraculous would happen to save him. This was his nephew. His one and only child he sometimes saw as even his own son.

He could now feel it in the Force...The Dark Side. How did Luke not feel it sooner, for now it was much too late.

There were cries and screams echoing around him. The Jedi Master quickly stood, not even making a move for his lightsaber. Instead, he walked sorrowfully around that corner, knowing exactly what he was going to see, but still wanting to see for himself just how much he let his family fall.

Right in front of him was an army of darkly cloaked men. They each had their own weapon of choice, long sticks, blasters, chains, an unstable looking red lightsaber. Their own torture devices, ready to wreck havoc and steal lives.

The children who were playing in the field, ran inside in terror at their menacing Force surrounding them. Luke stood between the academy and the men.

"We do not wish to have quarrels with the likes of you," Luke said calmly. "Leave this place. We have no business with you."

The man in the middle, though masked, Luke knew precisely who he was, took a step forward. When he spoke, the helmet distorted his voice, but it was still faintly recognizable to anyone who was close to him. Ben.

"The only business I have come here for, Luke Skywalker," Ben began, his voice robotic and menacing, yet pronounced and light, "is to rid you of all your grievous students."

"Ben. This isn't where you belong or who you belong with. You are more loved with me and on your parents' side than you will ever be with the Dark Side."

The boy activated his lightsaber, anger at the mention of his parents flowing through him like bubbling, boiling water. "My name, old man, is Kylo Ren." With that, he moved his lightsaber to Luke's neck, threatening to slice his head off at the first sign of movement.

The rest of the men moved forward at Kylo Ren's command, storming the academy and slaughtering everyone inside. Luke stood there at Kylo Ren's mercy, unable to do anything.

"Pathetic, old Jedi," he said, his voice low. "If only you hadn't been so blind in the Light, you might have seen this day coming. You might have seen me as someone powerful instead of weak."

"This is the weakness; the Dark Side are for those who are weak, not the Light."

Without Kylo's knowing, Luke easily used the Force to push him to the ground, lightsaber falling out of his grasp. Luke took this time to walk into the academy as swiftly as he could. When he made it, he felt chills run down his spine and a hollowness overtake him. It was silent. Completely, utterly silent. There were no more screams or cries for help. There was just the soft creeping whisper of death looming around him.

"Master Skywalker," a voice said, interrupting his mourning. She was distraught, tears streaming down her face as she had walked among the dead younglings around them. "There's something you should see."

Luke gestured the woman, Lacey, to lead the way. She was no older than twenty-five, but very skilled at what she does indeed. She assisted the Jedi Master's Force with her ability to use technology to find new younglings to train as Jedis. After little less than fifteen years of searching the galaxy, it was plain that Luke's father had done a fairly good job in attempting to extinguish the existence of them.

Lacey hopped into her chair, typing and pressing buttons on her screen in a frenzy. Time was limited. Neither of them knew when Kylo would walk through that door to finish both of them off. A droid sat in the corner beeping wildly in panic. R2-D2 felt their distress. Lacey expanded the image to fill the room of a map of the galaxy through R2-D2's lense once he was a bit calmer. There was a single planet glowing bright red with a small blue, radiant dot. He had been shown something similar to this only six times, but none of the other younglings had produced a dot on the map so bright.

"Forest Moon of Endor. I haven't been there in years."

"There must be two or three together there, Master Luke. The Force is strong in that area, it can't be just one youngling."

Luke examined the dot on the planet further. He closed his eyes, feeling the Force through the galaxy. He searched for these younglings' Force, hoping that with such strength on the scanner, it would be easy to find them. And it was. There were images running through him now of a girl no more than ten years of age, roaming with the Ewoks. She laughed at something one of them said. Another Ewok was braiding her hair, tugging curiously at it. Then the images faded.

"Lacey," Luke said sternly. He didn't want to have to repeat his orders twice. As Lacey watched him put something inside the blue droid next to them, he continued. "You will take R2-D2 and fly away into the Hosnian system. You will find that youngling. She is with the Ewoks. She is no more than ten. There is only one girl to be found. You will take her to Maz Kanata along with this."

Lacey stared at the item he was handing her. Her eyes went wide. She was longing to resist; to insist that she truly did need him and to be alone was unthinkable to her, but she obeyed. She took the Jedi Master's saber with reluctance, and beckoned R2-D2 to come with her. Just before she walked out of the room, Luke gave her one last thing.

"This letter is for Maz as well. Give this along with that saber to her and deliver the girl. When you are finished with all of this, go to the Resistance. Go to Leia Organa and tell her what has happened and that I am sorry for having failed her son. Listen, Lacey, this girl on Endor is important and right now, you are responsible for her safety and delivery."

Lacey nodded once, rushing out and to her ship. There were no signs of any kind of the men in dark cloaks. For that, she was thankful. R2-D2 was also thankful, but still beeping rapidly, talking to himself and her in a panic. Just as they got onto the ship and she began to flip the switches for take off, R2-D2 stopped beeping.

The woman put the ship on autopilot, rushing over to the droid. She did everything she could to turn him back on for a bit of company, but nothing was working. It was like he was just an empty shell, never having any wiring to operate.

She was now alone.

With much sadness in her heart, she found the will to keep forward and fly to Endor, searching for the girl of Light.


	2. The Light in the Cave

**A/N:** This is the edited version. Hope you like this version much more than the one before. I certainly enjoy it much more!

 **A Demon's Light**

* * *

"Something's missing in me

I felt it deep within me."

-Flyleaf 'Missing'

* * *

 **Chapter One: The Light in the Cave**

Josie sat cross-legged on the lush, green grass. There was a sparkling lake before her. Small creatures swam underneath, splashed the surface and made chirping sounds, but that never once broke her concentration. She was one with the Light, too overwhelmed and consumed to have her break focus so easily. With every inhale, she felt the life around her exhale.

There was only love and peace in this state. Only beauty.

The small, boxy droid that kept her company for all these years bumped into her feet, begging for attention. There was one more bump and then another. Josie didn't move.

The droid beeped insistently to get her attention; he repetitively rolled into her foot increasing his speed. Finally, Josie opened her eyes, looking down at the small droid with a half-smile.

"Very keen on getting my attention, VB-23?" she said, raising a brow.

The droid beeped excitedly. The poor thing was impatient, always was. He didn't like when she was silent or very out of her mind and body when she was meditating in the Force. He felt very lonely.

She tried to leave him behind in their cottage before, but that didn't sit well with the machine so he came rolling through the entire woods in search of her right to that very spot she sat now. He was her best friend, though, and even if it was sometimes hard to meditate, she loved him more than anything in all of Takodana.

Of course, he was really the only thing she had.

All her life she lived in those beautiful woods of that planet. It was her home. She resided with the little droid in a small cottage built only as a single room. It was most certainly a modest house, but she didn't know any different and loved it all the same. Especially because she had such a loving droid as VB-23 to live with her there.

The droid beeped again, willing her to speak.

She rolled her eyes playfully. "You are just one for so much attention. How can a single person give so much, hmm?"

VB chirped, rolling in a small circle in front of her with excitement.

Josie laughed. "Alright. We can go exploring, but be wary of the time of day. I don't want to miss Maz's visit. You remember last time we missed her? She was very worried about the both of us. I don't want to disappoint her again."

The droid only beeped her to come along, rolling his way through the trees. He led the way most of the time he went exploring. The boxy thing loved seeing new things and only last week had they come across a curious cave that they somehow missed all these years before. He was eager to search it today, for last time there wasn't a moment to spare since it was the day Maz visited to drop off supplies and give her a lesson on the Force.

These lessons were what Josie loved the most when it came to Maz's visits. She loved learning new things and there wasn't anything like being told by a wise creature over a thousand years old the personal details of the Force. Of course, Maz made it clear to her that Josie was more connected and powerful with the Force than Maz ever was or ever would be.

She found this hard to believe because of how wise and strong she felt within the Force, but Maz wasn't one to exaggerate or lie.

Josie immediately stopped walking, keeping as still as her body would allow.

"VB!" she whispered. "Stop moving!"

The droid slowed down, turning it's head to look back at her. He didn't speak, thankfully.

A smile crept on her face as she looked at a stunning flock of glowing butterflies dancing around each other in the air. With every gentle flap of their wings left a glittery mist behind them in brilliant color. She was afraid to move in case they would sense her powerful presence and fly quickly away. This was much too extraordinary a sight to ruin it quite yet.

VB switched something around inside of his system. He sunk to the ground as his wheels packed themselves up inside his body. There was a subtle hum but it was faint enough not to disturb the insects that were now flying subtly closer to them. The droid began to float in the air, hoving with an invisible energy source.

The butterflies began to float around him now; streams of sparkling light wrapping around him. VB chirped with delight. There was a charming giddiness to him now that Josie couldn't resist.

She approached the flock, never taking her eyes away from the glowing blues, greens, pinks, and purples.

Josie reached out to touch one of them gently. The wings were ever so soft and velvety. She smiled at the butterfly who now looked at her with big, buggy eyes. It somersaulted in the air right in front of her nose and then made it's way with the rest of the flock into the cave. The droid floated after them.

The young woman was close behind, feeling her barefeet take her gently, but swiftly into the dark, rough entrance of the cave.

She was even more amazed. How could all these years have not led her into this caves before? The narrowness of the entrance was a great deceiver as to how wonderfully big and open it was on the inside. The walls were rough and cold to the touch, but there was a subtle sparkling light to them that could only be seen if one bothered to look close enough. She kept her fingertips on the wall, dragging them along as she kept following the dancing butterflies.

There was a large, blue pool with a small waterfall trickling down a stream of water. It was the most beautiful pool she had ever seen with it's green-blue hue and strange fish swimming in energetic circles, sparks shimmering on the surface from their scaley bodies.

The butterflies led them to a small hole in the wall that was barely large enough for her to fit through.

VB beeped, rolling into the hole and chirped again on the other side for her to come in quickly.

She got down on all fours and crawled through.

The area wasn't at all big enough for her to stand, so she admired her surroundings on folded knees.

It was a dome-shaped room with the same rocky floor, but the walls and ceiling were a stunning and brilliant white stone. All over were crystals shining with a brilliant power that she felt strongly in the Force. Yes, it was very strange how she did not find this place before and stranger yet how she couldn't feel that strength of Force Light outside the cave.

The butterflies all but disappeared in thin air. She almost didn't notice for she was so distracted by all the colors that the crystals gave off.

Josie was so entranced by it. She reached out touching every one. Each had its own feeling to give - its own power to offer. There were thousands of crystals lining that small room, but she looked at every one in detail.

The Force pulled her to a particular one right above her. It wasn't the most obvious crystal. Its light was very subtle, but a beautiful white-green still. She reached for it and it easily released itself from the white rock.

VB beeped excitedly again. He was floating around her wildly like she found something so amazing that it called for celebration.

With a small laugh, she crawled back out of the room, holding tightly onto the crystal.

Josie and the droid made their way back to the small cottage. Once again, they were late for Maz's visit. However, it was good that she was still there waiting for them. Josie was happy when she saw that Maz wasn't disappointed in the least bit.

"Exploring again?" Maz said smiling up at the young woman.

Josie nodded. "Look what we found, Maz!" She held out her two hands face up with the crystal cradled in them.

Maz smiled, but her brows were furrowed in deep thought. She didn't look up from the crystal in her hands as she spoke to Josie. "I see you have found a kyber crystal. Hmm." The little creature was looking at her palms still, but her thoughts were very far away. Josie was itching to ask Maz, but she kept quiet. "Have I told you the story about the Jedi and his saber?"

The young woman shook her head. "What is a saber?"

Maz hoisted herself up the stool beneath the table. Josie sat on the other side of her. She took out a rather large book from her sack, placing it in front of Josie.

"I felt in the Force that this day was approaching very soon. Whether Luke likes it or not, I believe it's time for you to understand the history and truth about the Force."

Her guardian stood completely on the stool now so she could reach the other side to where she sat, opening the book up and flipping through the pages. She stopped on a page with a picture of a glowing blue light coming out of a metal-looking tube. Josie ran her fingers on the drawing. It almost looked like the swords in the fairytale books she was given to read whenever she was tired of being outside of her cottage.

"Why do you keep doing things that Luke doesn't want you to do? And when will I get to meet this Luke?"

"Some day you will. Right now, it's time you knew what lightsabers are." She flipped another page that showed a diagram of the parts that made up a saber. "The Jedi, as you know, protect the galaxy. Their weapon of choice is a lightsaber. These things are created with the power and energy of kyber crystals. Once assembled, a Jedi has his or her own unique weapon to defend and protect, but never to attack. There are exceptions, of course, but that is for another time. All you need to know right now is that you should start your training in wielding one."

"I can make my own?" Josie asked, her eyes lighting up. She had never made something she could keep permanently and call her own.

Maz nodded. "Everything to make and assemble one is in that book. There is also a history of forms of combat that I suggest you read into as well. I know you have never fought before - "

"Fight? You don't mean fight others, do you? Is someone coming to hurt us?"

Maz chuckled. "No, child, but it is always best to be prepared for anything that may be thrown at you."

Josie nodded, looking at the diagrams. There was a list in the corner of the items necessary to make one. Every one of the words on the list - with the exception of the kyber crystal - was foreign to her.

Maz saw her confusion. "I will bring the materials you need tomorrow. For now, you will have to find a Brylark tree and use the Force to form the outer part of the saber."

Josie's eyes went wide. "I cannot take something from a living thing, Maz."

"Oh, child. It's alright; it won't hurt the tree. You are only taking enough to make the hilt. The tree will heal quickly; Brylarks are strong."

VB chirped at her, agreeing with what Maz said. Josie laughed. "You are only agreeing because you want to see what a saber looks like in reality."

The droid didn't even hide the truth in that. He rolled over to her beeping at her to hurry up and get on with it.

Maz chuckled. "Maybe I'll go get the materials now and be back with them in a few hours."

Josie nodded. "I don't think VB would accept anything less."

xxx

The Force had pulled an odd tube shape out of the tree. Looking at the beautifully carved wood, Josie felt a big step closer to see what a saber would look like when she held one. She felt much excitement in the pit of her stomach.

VB-23 circled her giddily when he saw that the skeleton of her saber was already carved and made ready. He ran into her leg to go back to the cottage and wait for Maz. There wasn't much else they could get out here.

Surprisingly enough, Maz had beaten the both of them back to the cottage. Josie didn't realize it had taken so long to find the tree and form the wood.

The sun was setting now, it grew darker, and she was concerned about Maz walking back in the dark.

"Don't worry about that, child. I'm not blind. Especially not with these lenses," she said, twisting her giant specs over her eyes, adjusting them to the right position. "Now, let's get this saber made."

Josie was even more touched and grateful that Maz was helping her make it. VB stood by beeping away, giving them some kind of odd cheering to keep them going. The funny noises he played were quite amusing. She didn't think he had so many different sounds built into his tiny system.

It took quite a long time; longer than she anticipated. The hilt was so complex with all the wiring and metal objects she didn't know the names of. However, once they were finally done, Josie admired the hard wood hilt, looking at every button, switch and knob.

"Well, child, go and turn it on. Careful though. That thing can wreak havoc if not used carefully."

She nodded, deciding to step outside in the cool night breeze. She switched it on, looking at the brilliant green glow shoot out from the hilt. The light was so pretty in her eyes.

"Some would say you are now a Jedi," Maz smiled.

Josie merely laughed, turning the saber off. "I feel like I still have a lot of training."

"Yes, that much is true, but you also have already learned so much."

"Will Luke have to finish my training because you cannot?"

"Hmm. Well, someone has to. Now get some rest, Josie. Tomorrow I think I will take you up to the castle. You must learn how to properly wield your saber before you ever actually use it. No point in having something if you don't know the first thing about combat."

"Will I have to fight someone?"

"Yes, but don't fret. It will only be practice. Everything will be staged and choreographed so no one gets hurt. I must get back now. Who knows what Vesper is doing with all the dishes now that we are closed. I don't trust that creature," she said more to herself than Josie.

The young woman watched her walk out, leaving her and VB-23 to shut down and head for bed.

Josie went inside and sat on her cot that lay on the floor with no stand to raise it. She looked at her saber again, turning it over and over. Somehow, she felt closer to Luke. Maz told her about how Luke had made his own as they built hers. She said that he modeled it after his Master Obi-Wan Kenobi's saber whom he watched pass away. It was then that she said she would like to replicate Luke's saber as well, feeling that much closer to the mysterious figure who found her so long ago. Josie felt something missing deep inside her. It was hidden most of the time, but there were those moments she felt it. Josie thought maybe Luke could explain to her what this odd feeling was; like a pull to something more...that there was more, but she didn't know where to even begin looking.

Every day she hoped that maybe that would be the day she got to see him and ask him questions she longed to have answers for. Maz knew that her stories about Luke made Josie feel like he was a long lost father figure that would come back for her someday. Of course, that wasn't Maz's intention, but it happened anyway.

VB beeped, wanting to finally turn the lamp off and shut down for sleep.

"You can sleep with the lights on, VB. Don't be so dramatic. Alright, alright. I'm turning the lights off. Now goodnight." She patted the droid who shut down right after she shut off the lamp at the head of her cot.

xxx

In her dream, there were three white-armored figures with oddly shaped helmets covering their faces standing right in front of her. She looked at each of them with a questioning look, waiting for them to speak.

"This way!" one of them said. Their voice was strangely distorted by the mask making his voice sound a little raspy.

He turned about and walked through the woods with the rest of them following including herself.

"Where are we going?" she asked, but there wasn't an answer.

To satisfy her curiosity, she decided she would follow them all the way to their destination. The walk seemed long, but somehow the ground underfoot seemed soft and more gentle against her feet than normal. It was actually blissful to feel the forest floor beneath her bare feet.

The trees seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't quite pinpoint where she was at exactly, and the armored people seemed to know the trees here more than she did. Rather odd considering she had never seen them in the woods before.

They stopped, turning back around to look at her.

She was about to ask all her questions again, but a different one spoke first. "All your answers lie inside, child of Light."

Josie scrunched her brows as they parted for her to see what they were talking about.

It was the cave she found her kyber crystal; the cave where the butterflies flocked to, leading her into something so beautiful. Now it was these white-armored people leading her here.

She walked inside, hearing the steps of the soldiers walking in behind her. The cave was precisely the same as before.

Josie felt the pull to the pool. She knelt before it, looking at the waters filled with beautiful creatures. Staring for a short time, she turned her head to ask what they wanted her to do. When she did turn around, she didn't see the white soldiers anymore. Now, there stood a tall woman with silver armor.

The woman's helmet was tucked under her left arm. It looked exactly like the others, but this one was silver instead of white. Her hair was cropped short and off to the side. Her face had a strong beauty and fiercness to it. Yet, there was some kind of gentleness that seemed to seep through her walls.

"Sometimes Light can be found in the strangest of places. This cave," the woman explained, "is a perfect example of that. From the outside it's dark and haunting, but once you move past that and search for what is inside, there is this beautiful lake of light with such kind creatures swimming all around one another."

Josie nodded, not sure if there was more that she should be taking from this. In no way was the young padawan trying to be cocky, but she felt she already knew such things. She had been into this cave, saw the outside, further went into the inside. She knew there was beauty in everything, so why was this so important for this woman to show her?

The woman in the silver armor smiled at her. "There will come a day when there is so much destruction and darkness that at first you will only see as much. But, Josie, you must remember that there is more than meets the eye. Within everyone is a ray of light, no matter how small. The key is to keep that in mind and not let appearances of ugliness take away that knowledge. You must remember that, Josie." She suddenly disappeared right before her eyes.

Yet, her voice still lingered in the cave. _You must remember…_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** Don't worry! Kylo Ren appears in the very next chapter! Reviews are extraordinarily amazing to me, so don't be afraid to review :)


	3. Aboard the Finalizer

**A Demon's Light**

* * *

"I found love where it wasn't supposed to be

Right in front of me.

Talk some sense to me."

-Auburn Run 'I Found'

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Aboard the Finalizer**

VB-23 beeped at her as she stared fixedly at the fruit bowl, absent-mindedly taking bites into a geruhin apple. The dream consumed her mind that morning that she didn't even pick up her saber beside her cot.

The dream, she knew, came from the Force, telling her something explicitly. She knew exactly the message that it was trying to get across, but she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do with it or when or who or anything of the sort. She was left more confused after waking than she was before the dream. As if she didn't have enough mystery in her life with all the unknowns out there because she was stuck living in that cottage, and where she came from was also unknown because she didn't have Luke there to explain anything to her. Now she had the weight of something forthcoming that she couldn't see quite clearly.

It was haunting.

The droid rolled under the table and hit his head to her feet, trying to break her train of thought. She didn't budge.

The droid wooed sadly and wheeled to the other side of the cottage, opening up his paneling and pulling out a small duster to clean the dirt covered floor while he waited for her to finish her thoughts. Really there were so many cracks in the walls and floors that dusting wouldn't do any good. It would only get dirty once again that very day. But what was a droid to do in a one room cottage with a master who is often out of body and mind?

VB beeped every once in awhile, mostly talking to himself. Josie glanced at him once, recognizing that he was the only friend she really had. Maz was her guardian, yes, but the only one who was there for her every single day was VB-23.

He wasn't even alive.

Josie frowned, ignoring the thought. She shoved the rest of the fruit in her mouth and called for VB to follow her outside. She decided it would be good practice to swing the saber around until Maz got there to learn the feel of it in her hands.

There was enough room in the clearing in front of her cottage without nicking anything. Taking a few swings, she listened intently on the low whooshing sounds it made.

"I see you are already practicing, hmm?" Maz said, standing behind her.

Josie turned. "Yes, I thought I would do something productive while I waited for you."

"Anxious to see the castle after all these years?"

"I'm anxious to meet people."

Maz almost looked sad, but it was subtle enough to go fairly unnoticed. "Well, you will mostly see creatures. Not too many humans come by here. But assure you that you will be seeing some of your own kind in the near future. For now, let's go meet some trainers. They don't know the ways of the saber as well as a fully trained Jedi would, but they know enough."

Josie nodded and followed Maz through the woods with VB-23 beeping behind them excitedly.

Maz stopped right at the edge of the woods, shooting an arm out in front of Josie to stop her. The little creature looked out curiously at the ships that landed in front of the castle. Her brows furrowed.

Josie was amazed at the large contraptions, but it was the people walking out of them that shocked her most.

They had the same armor on as the ones in her dream. They wore helmets and held guns and walked up towards the castle. Their walk was almost the exact same as in her dream. How could she dream of something or someone that she had never seen before until now?

"Josie, go back to the cottage with VB-23. Don't make yourself seen. I'll deal with them."

Maz stepped out of the edge of the woods while Josie shrunk back into the shadows, too curious to head back quite yet.

"What is the meaning of this?" Maz asked one of the armored troops.

"First Order business that doesn't concern you, creature," one of them sneered.

The young woman was taken aback. She wasn't expecting such a harsh tone; not when her dream led her to believe differently.

"It very well is my business considering you have decided to plant your ships on my grass and storm my castle bar. I demand that you tell me what your orders are exactly before I will allow you any further."

Before another word was said, a figure in a black cloak and scarf walked off the black ship. His helmet covered with a hood was different than all the others, and his voice was much more distorted and menacing, almost too low for her to hear him at such a distance.

Josie felt shivers run down her spine as she felt a strange pull in the Force luring her to him. Yet she stood still in the shadows, not finding the will to disobey Maz entirely.

"We need the map to Luke Skywalker," the man in the black said. "I have little doubt you know the missing piece's whereabouts are."

Maz shrugged casually. Her smile was blatantly fake and her gestures had a hint of irritation to them, but she managed to keep the peace for now. "Can't say I've seen it. Sorry. Now go on, I don't want my customers to leave because the First Order is on a delusional mission to find a single missing person."

The man walked closer to Maz, peering down at her, his head almost perfectly parallel to the ground in order to meet her gaze.

Josie suddenly turned around, feeling something strange in the Force.

There were three white armored creatures grabbing at her arms, tugging her out of the woods and into the sunlight. She didn't struggle, but she was certainly scared and uncomfortable, unsure of what they were doing.

"Sir, we found a spy. No doubt she is with the Resistance," one of them said.

The man in the black helmet looked up from Maz and to her.

The white armored creatures led her all the way up to him, gripping her hard. Never had she felt such pressure. She didn't think someone would do such a thing or was even capable of causing such pain. Her eyes began to water.

"Let her go," the figure said evenly.

The pressure released.

Josie looked down at Maz for a moment, seeing that she was shaking her head slowly in disappointment. Her heart sank to her feet feeling the weight of her guardian's reaction to her disobedience.

"Can I help you with something?" Josie asked looking back at the hooded figure.

He was quiet for a moment, examining her. She felt her cheeks burn, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Her long brown hair was pinned back in a mess of tangles with loose strands all over; her feet were almost pure black from being barefooted all the time and dirt covered her legs right up to the leggings that stopped above her knee. Despite wearing her best dress that she carefully crafted herself, she felt dirty compared to how sleek and clean they all looked.

"Put her on board and guard her, but don't tie her up."

"Yes, sir!"

"Stop!" Maz yelled out. The soldiers did as she asked. "She is my daughter. Please, she is nothing to you. She is just a child who knows nothing of the Resistance or Jedi. She is not part of any of that. You have no right to take her."

The man stepped closer to Maz, nearly bending over to the little one's height. "Knows nothing at all? I feel the strength of the Force in her and you mean to tell me she knows nothing of the Jedi." He straightened up, turning back to his troops. "Bring on board. We won't be needing the map any longer."

"Yes, sir." This time, their eagerness to obedience wasn't as enthusiastic as before.

As she was being led onto the ship, she turned to look back at Maz with fear flooding her eyes. Was she not coming with her? Why was she only standing there?

"Maz!" Josie said. "Hey, let me go. You don't have a right to lead me to somewhere I don't wish to be. VB! VB come here!"

The droid beeped with anxiety, rolling as fast as it could forward.

"Take the droid, too," he demanded with a snarl. He then walked up to her so swiftly that she barely saw him coming. With a wave of his hand, she began to see nothing but black.

And strangely, the last voice she heard was in her head whispering in a gentle female voice: _You must remember._

xxx

Kylo Ren had cleared his head after setting the unconscious girl in the chambers beside his. He felt a surge of fury surge through him when he realized how much he had failed and how weak he was just by laying his eyes on her.

The purpose of that visit to Takodana was to get the map to Luke Skywalker, not bring back a girl. But those visions he had all these years, he simply could not leave her behind in fear of never seeing her again. He had to have her here by him.

She was a part of him.

Kylo Ren clenched his jaw at that thought. She would end up being his weakness. Already that has been shown as true. He completely abandoned his mission for this girl.

He only hoped he could rationalize an excuse to Snoke before the Supreme Leader decided to execute him.

The Knight of Ren walked quickly down the corridors of the Finalizer. Keeping Snoke waiting would only make his mood worse. There was no doubt in his mind that Snoke was ready to unleash his wrath on him for forsaking the map.

Ren entered the large chamber. Snoke's hologram was already projected on a raised platform. The leader peered down menacingly as he entered, not even waiting for Ren to walk the rest of the catwalk before speaking.

"You have lost sight of your mission, Master of the Knights of Ren," he sneered. His low voice echoed through the chambers, piercing ever corner.

"I found something better, Supreme. There is a Force-user who has little idea about us and the Jedi. We could manipulate her to our side and use her power against the Resistance. I had a vision about her and I truly believe she is pure Force; no parents or connections but to the Force alone. I can feel her Force from even in here, my Lord. She has amazing potential and is unsullied. I could be her teacher and show her the ways of the Force."

"You yourself have not finished your training, Ren. However, if what you say is true, we won't need the map to Skywalker. Go, Kylo Ren, and train her. You have escaped my wrath this time and have done well in bringing this girl here. I will arrive in three month's time to see how much potential she truly has on our side."

"Of course, Supreme."

The hologram faded and Kylo Ren felt much relief. This time around, his impulsive actions had actually benefited the First Order.

xxx

Her eyes fluttered open.

The room was dark and dreary. The window brought in not an inkling of light. There were only stars and darkness.

She sat up, feeling something very soft beneath her. Looking down, she saw silky sheets and a fuzzy black blanket covering her. It was warm. She rubbed the blanket against her cheek, never having felt something so soft.

VB chirped at seeing her eyes open and alert. He came rolling to her feet, bumping her in a gesture of affection.

"Yes. Yes, I'm alright," Josie answered him. "Are you okay?"

The droid beeped soundly. He was alright, but concerned that they were now under the care of the First Order.

"What's wrong with the First Order? Who are they?"

Maz doesn't like them. That wasn't much of a reason to dislike them, Josie thought. She stood up, walking past VB and looking at everything in the room. The bed alone was giant. It could fit five of her and then some. The window was just as large if not larger. It scaled from the ceiling to the floor. She touched the glass cautiously, afraid it might not be there at all. It was solid just like the windows of her cottage, but it was much cleaner.

In a short moment of bravery, she leaned her body against it, peering out into space. She had never been in space before. That thought brought a smile to her face. Now she could say she had been to space! Surely not many could say as much.

Across from the window on the other side of the room were two doors.

Walking over to the panel, she pressed the button, watching one of the doors slide open. Amazing.

The room was smaller than the one with the bed, but it was very different. It was all a light grey and much bright with sconces on either side of another large piece of glass; however, this glass was different. There was another person on the other side and Josie was astonished and startled to find someone there. She walked up to the glass as did the person on the other side.

Every move she made, so did the other person. Josie's brows twitched with confusion noticing that the person on the other side was wearing the same dress and leggings she was wearing. Tugging her dress strap up, the other person did the same.

Eerie.

Josie ran out and shut the door, not wanting to be so copied and followed as that person in there who didn't even say hello to her.

She opened the other door this time. The room in there was shockingly much bigger than the one with the bed. It had a couches and a screen and a large table between them. On the others side were counters and tables with chairs and strange appliances she had never seen before. In fact, not a single thing in that room she had seen in anything other than a drawing in a book. It was beautiful, sleek and dark. It was so pristine that Josie felt very dirty again, wishing she had bathed in the lake that day before coming here.

Maz wasn't here. She was back in takodana. This made Josie uncomfortable, wondering why they took her here without Maz.

She decided to leave it alone and ask Maz when she saw her again.

Walking over to all the appliances, she pulled one of them open, seeing a small container of sungrapes. She grabbed a stem and began biting some off the stem and relishing the sweet water inside as she chewed it.

Going further down, there was a large grey steely machine. She twisted a few knobs and unexpectedly there was a fire blazing on top. She shrieked, dropping her sungrapes on the floor.

A door she had yet to open, did and in came in the man who had brought her here. He moved quickly over to the machine and turned it off, the fire disappearing.

Josie's eyes were still wide. "What in the world is that?"

"You mean a stove?" he asked her harshly, his voice still strange to her with all the distortion to it.

She picked up her grapes and began eating them again. She set the rest of the stem on the table and took the man's hand. "I want to know who this is."

Kylo Ren was confused and felt odd at how she so boldly took his hand without a second thought. She led him to the bathroom, sliding the door open and staying right outside while she pushed him in front of the glass.

"Who is that?" Josie asked curiously. "She keeps copying me. It's weird. And she didn't even say anything either."

A strange noise came from the hooded man; something she was sure was a laugh.

"This is a mirror. You can see your reflection," he stated evenly.

Josie walked cautiously to the mirror once more, shocked to see that now the girl was standing next to another Kylo Ren. "That's you! Is - is that me?"

"Yes."

She looked at his reflection and then her own. Leaning in closer, Josie started to feel her face and examine what she looked like. She didn't know that this was what she looked like. Her face was still a little dirty, but looking closely she saw a few freckles on her nose, her eyes were a bright green with tints of brown, and her face was slightly square with high cheekbones.

"You've never seen your own reflection?" he asked, looking down at her small frame.

"No. All the waters were too clear to see your own reflection in. All I could see was a vague outline of myself. I think I could use a bit of brushing, that's for sure," she said, laughing at her tangled hair.

Kylo Ren wasn't going to tell her that she looked beautifully wild as she was. In fact, the thought made him twitch himself.

"You can clean up in the shower, if you wish."

"Shower?"

He gestured her to walk to a clear glass door. He slid it open and casually turned it on. A stream of water trickled from above. "That there is shampoo for your hair, and this bar is soap to wash everywhere else with."

Josie picked up the bottle and that bar, sniffing both. She smiled. "They smell like varillian flowers."

"Yes, that would be the scent they were aiming for. I'll leave you to it then. There are fresh clothes in the wardrobe next to your bed. If you need anything, I'll be next door."

He stepped out while she continued to admire the rainfall of water coming out of a metal circle. It was such an interesting contraption. In a sudden mad rush, she took off her leggings and dress, hopping in and feeling the cool droplets on her dark skin. She closed her eyes, feeling the dirt fall away.

She wanted to truly be fresh and clean, wondering what exactly it felt like to be so. She used almost the entire bottle of shampoo to rid her hair of the dirt and grim. The bar was nothing but a small pebble when she was done cleaning herself. When she stepped out, she stood naked for a moment, looking into the large mirror at herself. Of course she had seen her body before, but never in a third person point of view. It was strange to be able to look at her sunkissed skin and her round breasts and her long hair that was slicked back and nearly black from being wet.

Turning one-eighty degrees, she looked at her back watching the droplets from her hair run down her spine. Her skin was now clean and smooth with a few freckles here and there. She had never seen her body so clean, and it felt so refreshing.

Not bothering with a towel, she walked out to the wardrobe and pulled open the two doors. She saw nothing but black and grey clothing. Frowning, she shut the doors again. She was finally clean and wanted to wear something beautiful and colorful.

Josie rummaged through every drawer and dresser in that room. Finding a white and red patterned sheet, she took it out of the drawer, laying it flat on the floor. She went into the room with all the appliances and searched until she found scissors and something small enough to act as a needle.

The woman began to cut away at the fabric, pulling threads, adjusting her cuts, and when she was done with that, she began to sew together the pieces. Once finished, she held it up, looking down at the length. It was perfect. She put it on and then ran into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was now dry and curling nicely, giving her a bit more volume back from it being weighed down by water.

She twirled once, getting the feel of the dress. It was tempting to put her leggings on for more coverage, but they were dirty. Picking up the pile of her old clothes, she decided to see Kylo again and ask if she could somehow wash them.

But once she was out in the corridor in front of the his door, she wasn't sure what button to push or how to go about getting his attention when there was a barrier between them.

Finally making a decision, she knocked.

The door opened after a few moments and he stood there still with his helmet on tight, but his hood down.

"Do you have a face under that helmet?" she asked.

"Of course."

"How do I wash my clothes?"

Kylo Ren was perplexed by this girl. She had no fear, but her strength and bravery wasn't that she held her head high with fierceness, but she was humble and open and friendly. Not even his mask had intimidated her. She spoke to him like he was a normal human. He couldn't remember the last time someone had treated him the way she had in less than twenty-four hours.

Even stranger, she left things alone and began a new subject. She was like a rabbit hopping from one pebble to another.

"There is a shoot in your bathroom where you can drop your clothes in and droids will wash them."

"I can wash them myself. I just need water and a cleaning powder."

"It's alright, it's the droids' job. Follow me." Kylo Ren led her to his bathroom which was nearly the exact same as her own. He showed her where the shoot was, placing her clothes down it and closing the lid again.

"Can you take your helmet off? I want to see your face. I've never met a human in person before."

Kylo felt a small fire of anger rise in him. He didn't like how lonely her life sounded.

At first he was hesitant, but he pushed the button and removed his helmet, watching her expression go from a calm smile to brightened, sparkling eyes. She reached up and touched his face, but he pulled back immediately.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized. "I just wanted to get a closer look. I have never met anyone taller than me, you know. You feel strangely familiar."

She wasn't talking about his physical flesh.

His jaw moved, clenching. He wanted to show her his dream...his vision, but he wasn't about to scare here away. Instead, he said, "Tomorrow we start your training. You are very powerful in the Force and I will make sure you know how to use and control it. If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to on the ship. There are books and videos you can use for entertainment in your room. They should be in the living room drawer if you haven't found them yet. I will fetch you in the morning."

Kylo Ren put his helmet on and escorted her out of the room then left her at her door on her own.


	4. A Demon for the Light

**A/N:** Thanks Blue Angel for hanging in there! And he will still teach her, it will just be on the Finalizer instead of a meadow haha.

I have a few days off work so I will try and make up for the 7-8 chapters that I took away from you guys and I will catch up and give you guys 7 chapters back and a couple more! I will write like crazy!

 **A Demon's Light**

* * *

"I thought I saw the devil this morning

looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue

with a warning to help me see myself clearer."

-Jaymes Young 'I'll Be Good'

* * *

 **Chapter Three: A Demon for the Light**

Her dream was almost even more strange than the one she had the night before. She was in a field with a tall, grand castle looming over her. She walked towards the door but a hand stopped her. Just as she turned to see his face, the scene disintegrated to something darker. The grass was gone and there were bodies all around her. They looked so cold and lifeless.

The rain poured hard on the ground. It was muddy, slippery and very hard to keep her balance. She walked around, searching for a pulse on every body.

They were all dead.

There was a small child she noticed off in the distance. Josie ran to her, stumbling every so often from slipping in the mud. She bent down to the child, trying to help her up. Another figure approached them. He looked menacing as he raised his weapon to beat both of them, but before he could do any damage, a red saber pierced through him, and he was then on the ground lifeless.

Josie gasped.

Looking up, she saw Kylo Ren and more men behind him wearing robes and masks similar to his.

The child and herself stood up, blinking away the rain running down their face.

Kylo approached her, but the scene changed again when she tried reaching out to touch his mask.

She was now in a beautiful meadow sitting across from Kylo Ren.

Josie smiled at him. "How did I get here, Kylo -"

"Ben," he said correcting her.

Before anything more could be said, Ben disappeared and she sat alone in the meadow, wishing he would come back. It was a strange feeling. She had always anticipated the day that Maz would come visit her, but this was different. Josie genuinely felt something being taken from within her when he left; like an important piece needed for living and breathing was gone when he vanished.

It was strange. She felt more aware of herself than she had ever been in the dream. It was almost like the one she had of the armored troops the night before, but she felt like she had even more control.

Josie stood and walked over to the edge of the meadow meeting the forest. In the distance between the trees she could see two shadowy figures. The curiosity took over her as she snuck closer to see who they were.

Strange to see your own self in a dream standing in front of you. Josie didn't think that was possible, but there she was a few feet ahead dancing with Kylo Ren - Ben.

He twirled her. Josie saw the beautiful dress she was wearing. Before now, she had never seen it, but seeing it she really wanted to make it.

It was a leaf-green gown flowing down just below the knee. It was lacey on the sleeves and collar bone, dipping into a V-line over her chest.

Ben was even more fascinating to watch, however. It was the first time she saw him look happy. It was also the first time she saw him in anything but the black robes he wore. He looked much more lively with the grey robe he wore now. She would have to suggest something to him. Maybe people would feel less intimidated by him if he wore something with a little more color.

The longer she stood there, the more she thought it strange she was dreaming this. If she were to dream of something like this, she would have been the one dancing, not seeing herself dancing.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, she saw Ben whip his head her direction, suddenly looking angry.

The next thing she knew, Josie was awake in the dark room. Her heart was beating fast, and she was breathing heavily.

What just happened?

xxx

Kylo forced himself out of his dream and awoke. Somehow she had been there. He knew that was her consciousness intruding through his own dreams. But how would such a thing be possible?

He got up from his bed, feeling exhausted and sweaty from using so much Force to push her out of his dream. He never felt someone so powerful that he had to use so much energy and Force. It was extraordinary and concerning all at once.

The light flicked on as he walked into the bathroom. He turned the faucet and wiped the perspiration from his face. He looked at his face in the mirror, seeing his hair dampened. Much more than that, however, he saw something sinister and dark within him. Kylo saw someone dirty and evil. His eyes were almost black, void of mercy and grace. He saw utter darkness.

His jaw clenched when he thought of Josie who was only right next door to him probably not realizing what had just happened. She was probably dreaming of peaceful fields of grass and shady, lively trees sheltering her from an intensely bright sun. She was everything that was good, and it made him feel disgusting even thinking about being around her.

He took the glass cup that held his toothbrush and threw it against the wall, relishing the sound of it shattering.

Out of pure selfish thoughtlessness he brought this girl here onto the Finalizer; a ship of the First Order who destroyed anything and everything that was of the Light. Because he was weak he took her here to keep her close.

He knew who she was...or had visions of who she was, and he didn't want to let her out of his sight. Not when he knew she was a part of him.

Right then, he heard a faint knock on the door.

He stepped out of the bathroom and bedroom, sliding open the door leading out into the corridor, finding Josie right in front of him.

She was still wearing that dress he didn't remember seeing in the wardrobe that was made up for her, but never cared to ask about it.

"Are you alright? I heard something break," she asked, but she completely avoided any eye contact. In fact she kept her eyes focused on everything but him.

That's when he realized he was shirtless and she hadn't seen anyone so much as half-clothed before. He smirked, feeling the power come back to him. He decided to revel in her shyness. "You can't look me in the eye."

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "Well, it would be improper, you see. I think the naked body should only be seen by the one whom you love."

"If this makes you uncomfortable you have no hope for becoming a successful Sith."

Her eyes shot to him, not caring now how bare his chest was. "A Sith?"

Kylo didn't reply to her.

She decided to change the subject. "We are the same species. Why do our bodies look different?" Josie then looked at him with a redness in her cheeks and immediately turned and looked at herself, pulling at her clothing so it hugged every inch of her, detailing the difference between them.

"Your ignorance astounds me," he noted.

"That isn't answering my question. I have these," she said grabbing her chest. "You do not."

Kylo immediately looked down, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.

"What? Now you're cheeks are redder than mine. Are you okay?" she was becoming concerned, but he began laughing. A genuine laugh. Josie watched him while he calmed himself, feeling a smile creep to her face. "Hey. I like your laugh. And your smile. You have a nice smile. Maybe you should smile more often."

The smile was immediately gone and Josie felt disappointed. She wanted to see his smile again.

In the awkward silence, she looked down at herself and suddenly remembered something. "I completely forgot to say that I used a sheet to make this dress. I didn't like any of the dull outfits in the wardrobe. I hope it's alright. I can make fabric out of spinral plants and make another sheet if you need me to replace the one I used."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You made something…out of a sheet? Well, I don't think that sheet will be missed. No one has ever used or touched that room until you arrived."

"Can I see your mirror?" she asked randomly.

"You have one in your own room, you know."

"Yes, but I want to see yours."

Kylo Ren gestured for her to enter reluctantly. She nearly skipped to his bathroom.

"The mirror is just the same as yours," he said from the other room. When he walked in, he saw that she was touching her face again and looking intently at herself. "Falling into vanity now are you?"

She turned back to him. "What do you mean?" Josie then looked back at the mirror. "I only find it strange to see myself. I have gone all my life just living and not thinking about how others perceived me. Now I have some idea of what they see. But I suppose not entirely because I am nobody but me. What do you see when you look at me?"

He stood in the doorway nearly taking up the entire thing because of his tall frame and broad shoulders. His expression was even, not giving away any of his thoughts through expressions.

It took him quite some time to answer.

"I see a person who has been sheltered and hidden away so her powers couldn't be used to their full potential."

Josie titled her head slightly, keeping her eyes locked on his. "When I look at you," she began softly. "I see someone who longs for so much more than what he has been told is right. And a person who has a beautiful smile but is for whatever reason unwilling to show it," she said teasingly.

Kylo's jaw clenched, not much for her teasing. "I think we should both go back to bed. We wouldn't want you to pass out of fatigue on your first day of training."

She didn't want to go back to bed, she was wide awake but obeyed and walked back to her room.

xxx

Somehow Josie managed to get a few more hours of sleep in. When she awoke, however, she didn't want to go out or for anyone to see her.

Looking in the mirror, she saw dark purple rings around her arms in the place where those troopers had grabbed her so brutally. It wasn't her first bruise. She recalled having a few small ones when she was younger and much wilder when it came to climbing trees, walking fallen trunks and falling herself many times for being reckless, but those bruises were never this big or gross looking.

Unfortunately, Josie knew that she was not only very excited for the training, but even if she didn't want to train she knew enough to know that Kylo - Ben - whatever name he went by wouldn't let her just skip out on training.

Rummaging back through the drawer she kept the scraps of that sheet, she picked laid out the rest of what was left of the sheet and began making wraps for her upper arm to cover the bruises. When she was done, she examined herself in the mirror again. Yes, the red wraps looked much better than the purple and yellow bruises.

After eating what fruit was left in the fridge, she walked out and knocked on Kylo's door.

He was dressed once again in his black robes and covered his face with his helmet and hood. Josie was slightly disappointed, but shrugged it off.

"I see you have made use of the sheets again?" he said with his voice heavily distorted.

Josie shrugged, giving the masked figure a smile.

He led her down the corridors and she finally got to see the more of the ship. It was just as dark as her room was. She was hoping to find some color but the only inkling of any were the buttons on panels and the blue-hue lights above.

The further they walked, the more troopers they passed. Each one of them covered from head to toe in white armor. She wondered what each one looked like under those helmets. She also wondered why they all had to wear helmets all of the time.

The first helmetless face she saw was that of a man who looked stern. What interested her most about him was the fact that his hair was an orange-ish red.

"Kylo Ren," the man said in a sneer.

Before Kylo said anything, Josie exclaimed, "Look at your hair! It's so curious. How did you get it like that?" She went up to him and began feeling the strands of his hair through her fingers, determining whether it was his real hair or not.

The man clenched his jaw. "Why is this creature touching me, Ren?"

At that word, Josie was taken aback. She stepped away from him, remembering how one of them had sneered the word 'creature' to Maz as a word to demean. Her whole life she had called the animals in the woods creatures. Not in any negative way, but as something almost endearing; however, when they used it, it was much more cold.

"Is-is that one of the sheets in our chambers?" the man asked, not giving any one of them room to say anything. He hissed. "Keep your pet away from me, Ren. She should be in chains. I have business to attend to, and obviously you would too if you weren't out playing with your toys." The man took another disgusted look at her and then stalked off leaving Josie feeling something she could only describe as being shot down.

Kylo hadn't said a word the whole time. He just continued walking with her right behind him. She didn't speak, but only thought about how the man wasn't so nice. She was trying to figure out where she went wrong. Josie made sure to keep a lightness to her voice and smile. She supposed the fact of her touching him didn't make him feel comfortable. Maybe the ones who lived here weren't very open to being touched. Josie made sure to keep a note of that in the forefront of her mind.

They finally reached a very large room with weapons and machines of all kinds lining the walls. It looked menacing, and she wasn't prepared for this kind of training. She thought she would learning how to perfect her healing, meditating, and vision reading.

"Why are there so many of these things?" Josie asked, picking up a long metal thing that looked similar to a lightsaber hilt, but bigger.

She flipped one of the switches and two red lights shot out from either end. It shocked her, so she dropped it. Just before it deactivated, it cut into the side of her foot. She yelped in pain, sitting herself on the floor to look at her foot. She saw a black and red burn where the saber had nicked her. Is that what sabers were used for? To hurt and cause pain?

"Try not to touch anything in case you really hurt yourself," Kylo scoffed.

Really hurt herself? There was more pain to be had with those things? Josie couldn't imagine. Even worse, she had one. She made one.

"I assume you know how to use your own?" he asked, handing her her long-lost lightsaber.

"I was beginning to wonder where it had gone off to," Josie said, taking it from him.

"We won't be training with those yet. I want to start with your mind."

"My mind?"

Kylo led her to the corner of the room where there lay two black cushions. He sat on one and she sat on the other.

"It's important for you to train your mind to build walls, create false memories, and push back when someone is trying to break into your mind."

"Why would someone do that? Thoughts are private, why would someone be so rude?"

He chuckled. "What you did to General Hux could also be seen as rude." Josie frowned, feeling bad about her curiosity even moreso now. Kylo then took his helmet off, his locks falling back into place. "It will be easier for you to put your hand on my head. Search it, feeling with the Force of what you want to find."

"What do I want to find?" she asked.

"Just look inside and search around." When he saw that she was hesitant, he continued. "I will block what I don't want you to see."

Josie scooted closer to him, placing her fingertips on his forehead. She closed her eyes, feeling through his mind that seemed hauntingly loaded with memories. There were a few she tried to tap into, but he was keeping her shut out of them. Feeling like he really didn't want her to see anything, she tried lurching herself swiftly over to the most recent memories, hoping to see something there without him noticing.

She managed to see him standing in front of the mirror looking angrily at himself. He stared menacingly at himself for quite some time before she saw him pick up a cup and smash it against the wall. His voice suddenly echoed in the memory… _A demon compared to the Light…_

Kylo shot her out of the memory before she could see anything else.

"Why were you so angry?" Josie asked.

He tried to keep the anger he had inside. How could she have maneuvered so quickly without having felt her move in the Force? Was he so blinded? Distracted? No. He was focused, but that meant that she was more powerful than originally anticipated.

"You managed to see something. That's a good start. Now I want you to try and pull a memory that's been imbedded deep into the mind. I won't block it, but it won't be easy to pull out. Long-term memories can be very vague and hard to pull from the mind."

Josie nodded, placing her fingers once more on his head. She searched the part of the mind that contained all his suppressed memories and searched for one she felt was something of significance to her curiosity.

Once she targeted one, she tried as hard as she could using the Force to pull it forward and watch it. It was much harder this time around. It was so embedded in the back, almost forgotten that it took all her strength to pull it to the forefront.

After much Force, the memory finally revealed itself to her.

It was a young Ben around the age of fourteen with a young girl of five. They were both in the field in front of a temple; the temple she had seen in her dream. The girl was skipping around, picking up wildflowers. She ran over to Ben and handed them to him.

"I want you to have these, Ben. Can I be the flower girl at your wedding? I can wear a really pretty dress and bring your favorite wild flowers! And for a present I will get you a lightsaber and I will give her my favorite fairytale book. I bet she will like fairytales. And I bet she will be really pretty."

Ben scoffed. "Marrying is against Jedi Code."

"Luke says that love is necessary for a Jedi. He says that we don't have to follow that part of the code." She began dancing and hopping, releasing so much energy. She was just a bundle of it.

Ben was sitting on a large rock reading a history book about lightsabers. He couldn't wait to make his own.

When he didn't say anything to the girl, she continued. "I want a sister, Ben! You can give me a sister."

Ben was very annoyed at this point. "If you want a sister, go ask Luke to adopt another orphan like he did you."

That stung the girl. Tears were falling down her cheeks, but her face held an expression of anger. She flung the rest of the wildflowers in her hand on the ground at his feet and stomped off.

The memory ended.

Josie's curiosity was not satisfied. She searched deeper in his mind, finding a memory that was the most repressed and guarded in the natural walls of the mind.

He was now Kylo. He wore his long black robes and kept his helmet on tight. He held his unstable saber in his hands, seemingly ready to activate it when he felt necessary. There was a group of men behind him who wore similar robes and helmets as he did.

They stood back while Kylo walked up to an older man in beige robes who looked more than tired and sad. He looked defeated.

"We do not wish to have quarrels with the likes of you," the old man said calmly. "Leave this place. We have no business with you."

"The only business I have come here for, Luke Skywalker," Kylo began, his voice robotic and menacing, yet pronounced and light, "is to rid you of all your grievous students."

"Ben. This isn't where you belong or who you belong with. You are more loved with me and on your parents' side than you will ever be with the Dark Side."

Kylo activated his lightsaber, anger at the mention of his parents flowing through him like bubbling, boiling water. "My name, old man, is Kylo Ren." With that, he moved his lightsaber to Luke's neck, threatening to slice his head off at the first sign of movement.

The rest of the men moved forward at Kylo Ren's command, storming the academy. Something misty and beautiful came from the very soul of Ben. It twinkled like the stars in the sky and began to float towards the heavens.

The vision left Kylo and Luke behind, keeping the focus on the floating light. It danced around and swirled as it traveled the galaxy to a planet so covered in trees that there was nothing but brown and a brilliant green to be seen for miles. Even the sky was nearly unseeable through the thickness of the leaves.

The Light came to a slow and steady stand-still. It glistened as it waited for what Josie didn't know yet.

From up above the dark blue moon glowed. It appeared to be glowing bright as some of that glow came down, merging with the Light. The glow of the dark moon and the Light shot out a bright explosion of color before fading away, leaving a small body behind.

The body got up - the body of a young girl.

As soon as Josie saw the girl's face, she immediately pulled herself out of the memory - the vision and stood up, feeling overwhelmed.

That vision couldn't possibly be real.

Kylo stood up, feeling anger course through him at feeling somehow rejected by her repulsion.

Josie turned away from him, not wanting him to see the tears that were pricking her eyes. She grew up in the woods. Her memories went as far back as one's memories could go. She recalled getting VB-23 - her best memory - from Maz at only four. She was nearly ten or eleven in that vision. Those visions couldn't possibly be real.

She repeated that in her head over and over all the while sifting through her own memories.

Behind her, she heard something hit the wall. She turned to see Kylo breathing heavily with anger. Maybe she had picked the wrong memory.

"I'm sorry for peering into your memories. I told you that I didn't want to. They are sacred and should be kept private especially… Was that a memory? It couldn't have been. I don't recall that and you weren't there to experience that. Not the second half of it."

Kylo clenched his jaw again. It was curious why he did that so often, but it was oddly pleasing to her even if he did it when he was angry.

"It was a vision the Force gave me that night. I tried suppressing it because it was distracting to my training of the Dark Side. I didn't think it could be pulled out again so easy by you. You. A child who knows nothing and has seen nothing. Doesn't even know who the Jedi are or even of her own powers." His words were harsh and accusing.

Instead of saying anything, Josie decided she wanted to leave and go back to her room without anymore words being thrown about carelessly.

All the way back to her room, she kept her head down in fear of someone seeing the tears streaming down her cheeks in a quiet, wild river.


	5. The Weight of the Galaxy

**A Demon's Light**

* * *

"I love the way that your heart breaks

with every injustice and deadly fate.

Praying it will all be new

and living like it all depends on you."

-Flyleaf 'Again'

* * *

 **Chapter Four: The Weight of the Galaxy**

It was nearing dinner.

She didn't eat lunch for nothing in the fridge looked appetizing. But now, her stomach was shouting at her for food, and she wasn't about to object. The hunger in her stomach wasn't something she felt before. The only time she remembered such a hunger was when her and VB had wandered further from the cottage than anticipated and she hadn't packed anything to eat. It was a long way back especially because she was so hungry. However, along the way she managed to pick a few berries, so it wasn't all that bad.

Pulling out a container, she opened the lid and sniffed. Her nose scrunched with disgust. Sighing, she sat at the table and picked up the sludge with her hands. It was much too messy. Surely there would be something to pick it up with.

Josie searched through the drawers, finding a spoon.

When she scooped up the sludge and swallowed it, her stomach immediately hurled it back onto the floor. The sour taste of her stomach acid lingered in her mouth. She felt gross.

She walked over to the sink and rinsed her mouth as thoroughly as possible. She took a cloth and started cleaning up her mess. There had to be more fruit on this ship somewhere and she didn't think her stomach would handle more of the sludge, so she walked out of her room after cleaning up the mess in search of the good stuff.

The troops that passed made took no knowledge of her. They simply passed in orderly groups, walking the same pace like drones.

The ship was so big, it was hard to find anything other than a bunch of empty rooms with metal boards in the center, rooms with machines and technology, bedrooms with multiple bunk beds and very little room for anything else, and many corridors that for her led to nowhere useful.

As the hallways became more and more vacant with less and less troopers passing by her, her thoughts began to linger back to Kylo and his vision - memory. She still really wasn't sure what to call it.

Her earliest memory was when she was three and Maz had held her close in her lap, reading her a fairytale of a beautiful faerie falling in love with a human from a distant kingdom. He gave up everything to be with her, but he chose power instead of being with her. That story haunted her because it was the first and only unhappy story Maz ever told her.

Somehow and some way Josie needed to know where Kylo's memory fit into her life.

But it couldn't...it didn't. Josie had never been anywhere but Takodana. She didn't even know a moon and planet such as in the vision existed at all.

Looking up from her deep thoughts, she saw a lone trooper walking much differently than the rest. He almost looked uneasy even with all the armor covering his features. He stopped when he saw her. With great hesitation, however, he shoved her into an alcove of the hallway.

Josie caught herself, gaining back her balance quickly. "What are you doing?"

He took off his helmet. His skin was very dark, something she had never seen on a human. But he looked like a human. "I was going to ask you the same. You're not of the First Order, but yet you are roaming free. What are you doing here?"

"I'm being trained by Kylo Ren."

His eyes went wide. "Please don't tell anyone about me. They can't know. They can't know that I know what they do is wrong and they can't know I've taken my helmet off."

She furrowed her brows confused. "Why do all of you wear helmets? Why can't I see but a handful of faces?"

He shook his head. "I guess to dehumanize us. I don't know, but listen, I will find a way for us to get out of here. I just need to find a pilot. Do you know how to fly?"

Josie shook her head. "Do you know where I can get fruit?"

He stopped breathing heavily now and looked at her like she was insane. "What? Fruit - listen! This place is dangerous. We need to get out of here and the only way out is to find a pilot. If you find one, let me know. Maybe… Maybe we should have like a secret signal or something. Yea, yea. A secret signal." He raised his hand and put one finger then another up. "When I do that, then you will know it's me, alright?"

She nodded, her stomach then growling loudly.

The unmasked trooper cocked a brow, trying to hide a smile. "Alright. I will lead you to the cafeteria where we eat. There's loads of fruit and fresh food there."

"Thank you."

He put his helmet back on, walking beside her. She followed him through the hallway of rooms with bunkbeds and then they finally reached the cafeteria. She didn't think her stomach would make it much longer.

Walking in, she finally saw faces of all kinds. There were different creatures other than humans as well which was all the more fascinating. They all ate with little chatter and not a smile to be seen. It was very limiting, but she was too overwhelmed by the diversity to focus on anything else.

"What's your name?" she asked, both of them getting in line behind other troopers.

"FN-2187," he said in a whisper.

"You have numbers for a name? How odd. That's a mouthful. FN, yes?"

He nodded. They kept moving up the line as it got shorter and more troopers put food on their trays.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I threw up that sludge looking stuff. I don't think my stomach liked it."

"No problem, but you might have to walk back to your room or something to eat. I don't want either of us to get into trouble here. This is only for storm troopers."

"Can you come with me to eat in my room? It would be less lonely." Seeing him hesitate, she pressed further. "I can always say I requested you. All the blame will be put on me. I doubt anything would be done to me. Kylo wouldn't let that happen.

He flinched at his name but agreed to go back with her.

She nearly jumped, grabbing his arm. "Oh good! I've been wanting to make a new friend!"

"Shh!" he hissed, but smiled beneath his mask. "Alright. We've got our food, let's hurry before anyone sees us and begins to think us suspicious.

They both walked swiftly to her room.

He set his tray of soup and fresh greens down on the table and she did the same across from him. The excitement in her couldn't be contained for much longer as she shoved a lot of green stalks in her mouth. "So you seem much different from the others. You, to my pleasant surprise, seem like you and not a drone."

"Us stormtroopers were taken when we were infants to be raised and trained as soldiers for the First Order. We are conditioned not think or feel, but to follow orders. Maker knows why the conditioning hasn't worked so well on me." He shoved the food into his mouth like an anxious child.

"They took you from your parents?"

He nodded. "They did the same to you. I was there when they brought your unconscious body in. You were taken to. Yet, here you are in a very nice suite not so phazed by being kidnapped."

Her chewing slowed, thinking hard about how she did come here. She felt fear and sorrow when she was pulled away from Maz, begging her to do something. She didn't think herself kidnapped. She just thought she had to come here to be better trained with her powers. Maz told her herself that she could only teach so much being only a Force-sensitive and not a Force-user.

Not only that, but she truly didn't feel like a captive. She was free to roam…but that was the question now wasn't it? Was she free to leave if she wanted to? Her happiness faded, feeling trapped.

No. Surely Kylo would allow her to leave if she asked. And she would make sure to ask the next time she saw him.

"I can go if I want to," she said, reassuring herself more than telling him. "I want to be properly trained in the Force."

He frowned. "You want to be trained by the Dark Side?"

"No. I am of the Light, there is no changing that."

"Kylo Ren is trained to murder and kill in the name of the Dark Side. He has been trained in the Dark Side and has lost any ability to see the Light. That's where you will end up if you continue training with him."

"I think you see him as worse than he truly is."

He looked at her with that look again that suggested she was crazy. "I don't think you know just how many people he has killed. He has a pile - a podium of ashes with the important victims he has killed to remind him of the work he has done for Snoke. You can't really think that he is any good in him after murdering so many people."

Josie felt at a loss. Her brows furrowed, thinking how Ben - Kylo Ren was someone who did such horrid things as FN said. Then again, but that was what she couldn't wrap her head around: there was Ben and then there was Kylo Ren. Two different people in the same man's body.

Then, she remembered her dream - her vision.

"Within everyone there is a ray of light," she said, remembering the woman's words. "No matter how small."

Finn scoffed. "Well, let me tell you, that Kylo Ren's Light is probably the size of an electron, and that's being generous."

"What's an electron?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind that. The point is that even if there is light in everyone, it doesn't mean that those people want to see or even want to acknowledge it. Some people just live to be awful people. Nothing can change his mind. Don't worry, though. I will get us both out of here and we will search for a true Jedi who isn't of the Dark Side who can properly train you."

She didn't know what to say, so she just continued eating. They both did so in silence. Of course, FN couldn't take much of the silence for very long. He was antsy.

"I'm sorry to break it to you. You seem like a really nice girl, which is why I care about whether they manipulate you into their ways. How do you know so little about the First Order?"

"I lived in the woods of Takodana. I didn't really go out much."

He nodded, realizing something - something just clicking. "They see you as an easy target. They want you as a weapon against the Resistance. With two Force-users on the First Order's side, we - they would be unstoppable."

This was true. She was ignorant to most of the world and was a very easy target to be used and manipulated. Every word he said was another added weight to her shoulders. She felt heavy and sad at the sudden revelation of why she was there. Suddenly, she missed Maz even more now that she might not see her again because she was a captive there.

No. His words couldn't hold so much weight and so much truth. There were two sides to everything. There had to be.

"I believe the good in people can be brought out if they just see that they are loved."

In that vision, she truly felt Ben's anguish within him. He felt abandoned and unloved. It didn't matter that he was, Ben felt like he wasn't. A miscommunication in which if he could only see the whole truth with his very eyes then maybe -

Josie noticed FN's face fell with something that looked like shamefulness, but he continued with his view of everything. "Life isn't like all those legends and fairytales. There is no stopping the First Order. They will crush anyone who gets in their way. And by the looks of it, you are like them but with the Light. You will not waver no matter what from the Light, am I right?"

She nodded.

"Then they will kill you when they see they can't bring you to the Dark Side." He sighed. "I need to get back to my duties. I'm sorry I had to tell you these things. We can talk more later. Just be careful okay?"

All she could do was nod as he walked out of her room putting his helmet back on. The helmets that dehumanized them so they appeared as nothing but machines to kill. She understood now.

It was similar to when she saw Ben's face. She felt an attachment to him when he showed his face like she finally understood he was human and similar to her in many ways. It was hard to do that when all you saw was a faceless mask.

She folded her arms on the table and rested her chin on her forearms, thinking about everything he said.

They would kill her? Because she believed in life and love and light? All because she wanted happiness instead of death and misery she would be killed? It didn't make any sense.

Thinking about it wasn't doing any good either. She would see Kylo immediately and ask to be returned to Maz in Takodana. It would be nice to be wholly trained with her Force-powers but she could do without it. It wasn't necessary to her for her life. She would much rather be with Maz.

Finally getting up, she knocked on his door. When there was no answer, she knocked again.

"Did you need something?" The voice behind her made her jump.

She turned around and saw him standing there tall and menacing over her with his mask. "Yes, I would like to make a request to go home now. I must get back to my guardian."

Beneath his mask, his expression turned to shock. He guided her into his room, closing the door behind them. "You don't want to be trained anymore? I thought you wanted to be able to use and control the Force."

She shook her head. "The Force - it isn't about controlling it, it's about feeling it and being one with the Force. And yes, I want to stop training and go back home." He took off his helmet and set it aside as she continued. "You have kidnapped me and used my ignorance to your advantage. I won't be a prisoner here. I want to go home."

"You aren't a prisoner," he stated firmly.

"Then let me go home."

Kylo turned around. She watched him curiously, waiting. He suddenly turned back to her and placed his hands on shoulders. He was only inches from her face now. "Stay. For one month. Give me one month to teach you what I can… And I will return you home right after if you still wish to leave." There was a desperation in his voice and eyes that shocked her.

The closeness of his face to hers made her heart race. She could feel his breath on her face; their air intertwining as they each inhaled and exhaled. Suddenly a strange thought crossed her mind that she never so much as thought before. She wanted to place her lips on his, but that seemed so silly. Why would she want to do that? Josie couldn't answer, but she knew she really wanted to in that moment of closeness.

Instead, she suppressed the urge and nodded. "Yes, I will stay. But I wish to see Maz after the month is over.

"Of course." He let go of her shoulders, looking almost relieved.

Josie felt like something had been ripped from her as he let go. "Why am I here? I know it isn't because you have a concern for me and my training in the Force. There's much more to it. Are you training me to be a weapon for the First Order?"

"I didn't bring you here to use you as a weapon for the Order," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"Because of that vision you saw in my head. I recognized you and wanted to keep you close." His jaw clenched, feeling hesitant on having told her.

"I have heard rumors that you have killed many lives."

Kylo's eyes grew darker, but he didn't turn away from her. "Yes, I have."

Josie remembered her dream from last night. All the bodies left in the mud to be walked on and Kylo Ren standing there in front of the small girl whom he knew so well when they were both young. "All those bodies," she whispered to herself. "They were your doing…"

Somehow he knew what she was speaking of. He didn't say anything. He waited for her full reaction.

Josie tried to search through everything she knew trying to understand how she should react and how she wanted to. She wanted to go back to her room and get away from the murderer in front of her, but the voice in her head said _Within everyone is a ray of light...You must remember that_. She remembered her vision and the words Luke Skywalker spoke to him that fateful day. So instead, she walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Her brows furrowed not understanding anything, but knowing that what was most important was the Light and that she made sure Ben could see it. That was all she really could do.

Kylo didn't hug back at first, he felt stunned in place. But he slowly put a hand on her back, returning the awkward embrace. After a few moments, she let go and said, "Well, I will see you tomorrow for training, yes?"

He nodded.

She could only hope that in the morning all the weight placed on her shoulders with all the negative, consuming thoughts would vanish in the morning. All she could do was try and sleep.


	6. Real or False?

**A/N:** Thanks again for all the reviews, guys! I love hearing feedback and questions you have so I know to address them and even come up with more plot line just from your reviews, so keep it up!

 **A Demon's Light**

* * *

"Didn't it all seem new and exciting

I felt your arms twisting around me

I should've slept with one eye open at night."

-Taylor Swift 'Wonderland'

* * *

 **Chapter Five: Real or False?**

Sleep proved to be much more effective than Josie originally thought. She woke up the next morning happy, refreshed, and entirely alert.

Even VB-23 was chirping happily, waking from his charging slumber. The little droid hovered over to her where she sat on the bed, beeping at her excitedly.

"I'll see if you can tag along, but Kylo Ren never seems to be someone who enjoys much company. Even if you are a droid," Josie said, giving VB a little hug. "But I bet you could be useful during training. Maybe you could be the one who makes him laugh."

The little droid backed back a bit appearing as shocked as a little droid could look without facial expressions.

Josie gave him a teasing smile. Right then she got up, showered, and ate the leftover fruit she had from yesterday with FN. Unfortunately, she would have to make another trip to get more greens and fruit already. Maybe she should have gotten a few trays full when she could have. It made her nervous knowing there were certain places where she was really out of place and places where she wasn't supposed to be. She had never had to follow such rules before. In the world of Takodana was almost limitless. Except, of course, Maz's castle.

Then again, she could always see if Kylo would walk her around and give her a tour. That appeared like the most exciting solution.

But, first things first, training.

Josie and VB walked out just in time to run into Kylo who was completely dressed again in all black including his helmet to match. VB beeped quietly at Josie in anxiousness.

"What is the droid doing?" Kylo asked.

"I thought he could join us. He's so bored inside that room."

"Very well." He escorted them back to the training room. He wasn't very talkative on the way there; not that Josie expected him to be, but all the while they were walking down the halls, she kept thinking about last night and how close she was to him.

The image never really left her head.

Once they got into the training room, VB kept his cold metal body tight to her leg. He was still so intimidated by Kylo. Josie wasn't sure how; as far as she was concerned he was like an overgrown Takodana cub. The thought made Josie smile and giggle to herself.

"What is so funny?" Kylo asked as he took out his saber.

"Forgive me. It was only a funny thought."

He didn't bother asking for details. "This time I want you to try and put up walls while I search your mind. If you feel me touching upon a memory, block me. Try not to keep your mind completely blank but focused on my movement in your head."

She nodded, waiting for him to probe her mind. Josie didn't like the idea because there were definitely thoughts that she didn't want him to see, but she managed to stay focused on his Force moving through her mind. He searched the furthest memories she had. As hard as she tried to block him, he managed to pull out the memory of her sitting on Maz's lap, one of her arms wrapped around her and the other holding up a book.

Josie didn't bother blocking that memory, she actually relished it as he played through it. Suddenly, the memory was gone and he pulled himself out of her mind.

"You are supposed to be blocking me, not letting me seeing what's inside your head."

"Well, I enjoyed that memory. I remember she used to always hold me when I was littler. Of course, once I grew that wasn't possible for her…"

Kylo struggled with his words. He didn't mean to say it so harshly, but it came out bluntly any way. "Those memories are false. They aren't real. They never happened. No doubt they were created by Luke and Maz to keep you as sheltered as possible."

Josie frowned. She had an inkling that something was false after seeing Kylo's memory, but she didn't think all of it was false. There had to be an explanation. "Can you somehow search through my head for the real memories?"

"Picking which memories and finding the false ones is a time-consuming and difficult task. But we know I have the real memory of how you began, so I'm sure that I can pick which ones are false and which are real. But like I said, it will take quite some time to sort them out."

"However long it takes, that's fine. I just want to know."

Kylo took his helmet off and set it aside. He offered his hand to her surprise. She stared at it for a moment, but then recognized that she was supposed to take it. She did and he led her back to the cushions where they sat the day before.

His eyes were blank as was his expression as he looked into her eyes, using his hands at her temple to probe through the deepest part of her mind. Every memory he pulled, he relayed to her so vividly.

She saw herself as a baby in the arms of Maz. Luke brought her to Maz. She wanted to adopt her having heard of her not having any parents. She was happy. Maz looked at Josie like she was holding the entire world in her arms.

"False," Josie heard Kylo whisper as he erased the memory from her mind. It felt like it was just something she read in a book or an experience that someone else told her about rather than her own memory that she experienced.

She felt the heaviness in her heart again.

He probed further finding a memory she couldn't ever recall, but it was there all the same. She was the same age it appeared to her as she was in Kylo's vision. She was holding a woman's hand, putting all the trust in this stranger. The woman took her to Maz's castle and the little creature led them both to a private room.

Little Josie looked up at the woman as she spoke. "Luke Skywalker has requested that I take this girl and give her to you. She was found on the Forest Moon of Endor. He also wrote this for you." The woman handed Maz a sealed letter.

Maz opened it and read it swiftly. Her younger self felt odd in the presence of someone who looked so inhuman like. She had met the Ewoks and they were kind and funny and friendly. This creature looked stern and rigid. She wasn't so sure about this Maz creature yet.

The creature sighed. "I can't believe this has happened. No parents? Poor child. Purely of the Force. What a great weight she will have on her shoulders when the time comes. I find it no coincidence that she was brought to this galaxy the very day Solo turned to the Dark Side. There must be a direct connection somehow between them."

The woman scrunched her brows. "Surely she should have proper parents. She can't possibly live in a castle with - no offense, Maz - a bunch of outcasts, smugglers, and criminals."

Maz shook her head. "I know. I do, but Luke believes this will be for the best. I won't keep her here. I will keep her in the forests away from any darkness."

"Alone?" the woman hissed. "That's so cruel."

"No. She will have company. Right now your part is over. Go to the Resistance as Luke asked. I will take the child from here."

Josie knew this is where the woman and herself would depart, so she let go of the lady's leg and watched her walk out. She turned to the creature with tears pricking her eyes. "I want to go back to the teddy bears."

Maz looked at her sadly. "I know, child. I'm sorry."

The memory ended.

"Real." Kylo's voice changed from a whisper to something cold.

Josie wasn't sure if she could handle much more truth than that. It scared her to know that Maz had to take away her memories and replace them with false ones. She was astounded to think that all this time...all these years she had believed a lie.

He picked at more memories. There she was at four again. Sitting on Maz's lap. He erased it. She was now six years old and she was teaching her all the name of the insects and animals of the forest. Erased. She was now at four again receiving VB-23. She was so excited, she hugged Maz, and Maz picked her up in a roar of laughter. Erased.

Instead, she now remembered following Maz with VB-23 through the woods that very day. She left her in the cottage and told her that she would be back with food and other necessities for them.

Josie remembered feeling very alone.

When Maz did come back, that's when she began to change her memories as Luke told her to. She did it reluctantly, but did it all the same.

Kylo took careful time to sift through every memory and erase those that were false bring the real ones to the forefront of her mind. As much as she appreciated him doing this and finally knowing truth, she felt more haunted than she thought she could ever feel.

Once he was finished, hours had passed by and meals had been skipped.

Josie put her head in her hands, looking back at the memories she now knew were just pretenses to protect her from knowing the truth. She never was held as a baby in the arms of Maz, she never sat on her guardian's lap while she read to her, and she never even had a past before the age of ten.

But what haunted her the most was that she had never truly been held by a loving parent or anyone for that matter. She would never get to truly remember having gotten piggy back rides or being twirled around in a tight embrace. She never got any of that.

Josie felt cold.

Kylo Ren heard all her thoughts loud and clear. She was too consumed with unbelief to block him as he continued reading her thoughts. He almost didn't have to be in her head at all to know what she felt.

"I feel it too," he said. It almost broke him when she turned to him with tears staining her cheeks. "I had parents when I was younger. My mother sent me away against my father's will and he left both of us without so much as a goodbye. I haven't seen either of them since and don't plan to. I know what it's like to feel lost and abandoned and alone. But I promise you that I will not leave you alone."

His eyes were intense now. He was wiping her tears away, and she could feel his breath on hers again. She imagined the feel of his lips on hers.

Just as she thought that, she heard Kylo chuckle. "You really need to learn how to quiet your thoughts. I can hear them as loudly as if it was in my own head."

Her cheeks burned red, hoping he wasn't speaking of her thought of him touching her. But before she could reply, he did exactly that. When he pressed his lips to hers, she felt everything melt away. All that matter in that moment was him.

Ben.

He wasn't Kylo in this moment. He was Ben.

The kiss was soft and gently at first. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer and suddenly, he placed both hands on her back and the kiss became something deeper and more passionate.

When she released the lock on their mouths, she looked into his eyes and the first time only saw Light.

But it faded quickly.

xxx

Josie looked out the large window into the galaxy. She thought about him, playing the image over and over in her head. The ever-growing smile wouldn't leave. Not that she wanted it to leave.

Surprisingly enough, she enjoyed the raging blush flushing her cheeks in a rosy tint.

VB beeped at her, trying to get her attention again. He hovered up to her face, letting a quiet, mocking beep.

"I am not thinking about it, VB-23! Okay, maybe I am. But only a little!" Josie said in a teasingly defensive tone.

It was strange and beautiful all at once that VB went from intimidating by Kylo to obsessing over the both of them together. Maybe he just loved to tease her so embarrassingly. VB beeped at her asking if she was alright with all that happened during their training session...if it could be called that. It seemed like something would run them off track when they tried to train.

"Yeah, I'll be alright. I feel Maz has betrayed me, but I'm sure it was all with good intentions. I will simply talk to her about it when I see her next."

Kylo had escorted her back to her room because Hux had ordered him to meet with someone named Snoke. She let him be, but sitting around in a room all day wasn't her cup of tea. She had felt like she waited long enough to go exploring.

"VB, I'm going to go exploring. You go ahead and stay here. If I get in trouble, I don't want you in trouble too."

He beeped sadly.

"I'll be back. And maybe I can take you with next time."

He beeped again but this time was a little more indignant.

"Oh hush up, VB. I'm not entirely abandoning you." With that, she walked out before her little droid could make anymore protests.

Josie felt an odd sense of dangerous adventure. As much as she didn't like disobedience or having a feeling of doing something wrong, this felt a little bit different but something quite close. It was like lurching into the dark unknown, searching for something without knowing if it would be good or bad. Maybe it was both. Maybe it was neither.

She decided to take turns that she hadn't before when she ran into FN. The more difference in path she took, the greater area she would cover and the more she could see.

She saw a double door that was big and grey. Feeling like this might have something interesting behind it, she pressed all the buttons until it finally opened for her. Walking in, she saw that there was nothing of much interest; only panels and wires and something that gave off quite a bit of heat. She shut the door, continuing down the hall. She finally ran into even more doors, but this time, they were black and much wider and taller.

Of course, it was too important looking to not look into, so she went in after pressing the button. Her bare feet hit the white tile floor. This room seemed a little brighter than the hallways. The walls were a light grey and the ceiling had rows upon rows of bright lights.

Beds with a couple of people and creatures lined the walls and made two rows in the middle with curtains covering some of them.

It was a medical bay.

One familiar woman stood up at her entry. "Can I help you? I don't believe I've seen you before."

"Well, I've seen you!" Josie exclaimed with a bright smile. She went up and hugged the tall woman who stood beautifully strong. Despite her scowl, Josie still loved how she was now standing in front of her knowing this was not a dream. "I'm Josie. I've met you before in a dream. You were wearing silver armor and held a mask just like the other troopers. But I think your face and presence is much too beautiful to cover up."

The compliment was not taken whatsoever with the female trooper.

"If you don't mind me escorting you to the general to be assessed, I would like to see that you are back wherever you are supposed to be. It certainly isn't here."

There was a nurse droid walking up to them. She handed out a bag of tablets with a long piece of paper taped to it. "Make sure you take one each morning before breakfast and one right before bed. They should help ease the pain in your shoulder."

The woman nodded then turned back to Josie.

"I will lead the way, but I warn you that if you stray away I will shoot you onsight."

Josie frowned as she watched the woman put her helmet back on, picking up a blaster. They walked back the way she came, but took an immediate left to a large area where there were at least a dozen people pounding their fingers away on screens and boards.

"Sir," the woman said. It almost took Josie aback to hear her voice distorted. "I have a wanderer. She came into the medical bay. I'm not sure who is supposed to be watching her, but she managed to escape."

It was that man that didn't like her - the one who called her a creature. His face was already unpleasant before, but now that he saw who it was, his face looked all the more disgusted.

"Why is Kylo Ren's pet here?"

"I wasn't aware she was under Kylo Ren's watch, sir. I just came to ask you what to do with her as I found her unchained and wandering the halls. I figured she was a prisoner ready to escape."

Hux walked up to Josie, looking down at her. Oddly enough, his face began to soften.

"You know what, I have a great idea. How about I show you our new super weapon. Have you ever heard of the ability to destroy an entire planet with a single ray of light, pet?" he asked.

Josie shook her head.

"Well, I will show you a demonstration." He laid a hand on her back, leading her to the big window on the other side of the area. None of the staff noticed her. They were all too enveloped in what they were working on to notice either of them.

The general stood beside her, both of them staring off into the galaxy.

"Now, pet. What do you see right there," he asked, using his finger to point to a purple planet off into the distance.

"I see a planet," she answered happily.

"Can you guess what is on that planet?"

She shook her head.

Hux smirked. "What's on that planet is vile. There are traitors, thieves, and murderers living on that planet. But with this super weapon here," he began to explain, moving to a circular podium. He pulled up a small model of the weapon that was imbedded in a spherical ship. When he pressed another button, the weapon released a ray of light. "We will be able to wipe out the planet of its criminals."

Josie shivered. "Why would you want to kill them?"

"Because they have killed some of our own," he said, looking at her firmly.

She looked at him, seeing something in his eyes that she couldn't quite put a finger on. "I'm sorry that they have done such a cruel thing."

He almost looked shocked. The general stood there for a moment, gazing at her then he put his hand on her back once more, leading her away from the ears of his staff.

"So I have heard all you have seen in your life is light. Is that what you see in me, pet?"

Josie decided to laugh a little at the nickname he gave her. She supposed he was going to stick with it. Wanting to answer as truthfully as possible, she looked at him, feeling through his mind but trying to be subtle like Kylo had been when he probed her mind. "I see… Yes, I do see light. I see a very determined man who wants to do all he can for what he truly believes in. I see a very strong man who doesn't give up, even if he is told someone else is better. Yes, those are good qualities to have, I think."

He smiled at her like he was very proud of himself and who he was. "Well, I must say you are pretty good at that. I think I mistook you for a dirty creature, but I see you have great potential on our side. How about a glass of wine some time. I can show you precisely our achievements as I have heard you know so little about the First Order."

"You know what," Josie said, "I like the sound of that. My friend doesn't speak much and hasn't said much about you guys at all. I would be very appreciative of that."

Hux smiled, but what she didn't notice was that is was much more mischievous than genuine. "Perfect. I will meet you at your door tomorrow evening. Now, I am sure you would like to get back to exploring the ship as Ren has so rudely not done yet? Would you like me to show you around?"

Finally! Someone who knows all about the giant ship. "Of course. I mean, it's fun to explore without knowing where you are going, but I think the quicker I learn where everything is at, the less I have to guess every time I walk out." He offered his elbow, but she was confused. "I don't know what that means. Admittedly, I have little human contact."

His smile grew wider at that. "It's a gentlemanly gesture to a lady. All you do is rest your hand here." He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow. She felt her face heat up at the contact.

They walked the halls. He was explaining some of the rooms, others he didn't bother to talk about at all.

It was all casual and interesting, then it got moreso when Ren appeared.

Josie felt her heart flutter finally seeing him again.

"Josie," he said in a harsh, distorted voice. "I don't believe I recall you saying that you were going out of your chambers."

"I got antsy and - " Josie began, but Hux interrupted feeling pleased with himself.

"She should be shown the whole ship, Ren. I took the pleasure of showing her around. She is our guest after all. I'm surprised you didn't give her the courtesy as I have. Who would have thought Snoke's puppet wouldn't treat his new trainee as a proper guest on this ship."

Neither the girl or the general could see Kylo's face, but he was thankful for the helmet covering his beat red face. If it were possible, there would be steam shooting from his nose and ears.

"I think you've done enough, General. I will take it from here."

Josie felt uncomfortable. Hux went from casually prideful of the ship he commanded and now he was sneering and hissing at Ren like they were mortal enemies.

"Well," Hux said to Josie, turning his full body and attention to her. He picked her hand up to his mouth and pressed his lips to it. She felt her body start to sweat at the contact. "I will see you tomorrow. Don't forget," he whispered in her ear so Kylo couldn't hear. Hux then walked away leaving a fuming would-be Sith and a slightly confused would-be Jedi.

Josie turned to Kylo. "Are you alright? I feel you… You are angry again."

"Don't leave your rooms without telling me," was all he said before escorting her to her rooms in a furious silence.

* * *

 **A/N:** NO! This is _NOT_ Hux falling in love with her or her crushing on Hux. This is solely selfish on both parties actually. She just wants to know the ship better and he has his own curiosities and intentions.

Don't worry! This is most definitely **not** a Hux/OC/Kylo fic. Hahahaha

Thanks for reading! I wouldn't mind a review either :)


	7. The Force Weapon

**A/N:** Thanks so much Blue Angel, happinessismusic, and Fan of Demon and everyone else for reviewing! It means a lot! And yes, Hux is going to be quite obnoxious to Ren for a while ;) Reviews are always much loved!

Also, this story so far is Pre-Force Awakens. I will soon be catching up with the time line of the movie here soon. Also be warned that since there is so many unanswered questions I have about the background and history of many characters and events, I will be making them up as I go.

And one last **big thing,** I will be changing one thing or so of the movie to fit my story to my own liking. I apologize if you don't like the change, but I can't help but change a little bit of the story of Force Awakens. I hope you bear with me and enjoy!

 **A Demon's Light**

* * *

"It makes me feel nervous.

You have that look in your eyes.

Oh it takes over. What is it that holds you tight?

You can tear it up. No one tears it up like you."

-BANNERS 'Half-Light'

* * *

 **Chapter Six: The Force Weapon**

The next day, their training session proved much more productive in increasing Josie's use of the Force. She successfully probed through Kylo's mind, successfully blocked when he tried to probe hers, and even managed to project a false memory to hide the real ones. It was all tedious and needed much focus, but Josie found a little bit of meditation right before helped a long ways.

They were both intently concentrating on her training. The last couple sessions had proven almost going nowhere, so they had to make sure they stayed focused.

Kylo especially was concerned about her training. He began training her with the simple, soft Force powers, but the more quickly she learned that stuff within a mere few hours, the more he was concerned about showing her the Dark powers of the Force. Within a single week he would run out of showing anything that wasn't Dark if she kept up this fast pace of learning.

It amazed him and terrified him all at once.

He was supposed to want to teach her these things. She could be by his side for the rest of all the galaxy's existence if she came to Snoke…

But the thought of her anywhere near Snoke or even her hearing his name made Kylo feel dirty.

"Focus on the object," Kylo said through gritted teeth. "Feel the Force wrap around the object and bring it to you." He walked up behind her, waiting to see her bring the small book sitting on the floor across the room and into her hands.

Josie focused and felt the Force through her and around her surroundings. She eyed the object, willing it to come to her. It shook, but didn't do much more than that. It still sat across the room mocking her petty attempt.

She reached a hand out, calming herself with the Force and putting all thoughts out of her head except for the object a mere few feet away.

The book shook again and then shot up three feet in the air. It floated gracefully to her and she grabbed it, a wide smile on her face as she turned to him. "Can you believe it, Ben? I have learned so much today because of you! You're an amazing teacher!"

Kylo flinched at her saying his birth name, but was too shocked by her giddy, tight embrace around his waist to say anything about it.

"Can I ask you something that really makes my cheeks burn?" she asked looking up at him. Yes, her cheeks were tinted a bright pink.

He nodded slowly.

"Can you do what you did yesterday? The thing where your lips touched mine?"

Kylo stood aback. There was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knew he shouldn't be feeling as a Force-user in training. Not to mention they weren't supposed to feel any emotions such as the one he felt right then. It was a weakness and distracted one from the Dark Side.

But still, that didn't matter; what should be, what was supposed to be. None of that mattered because he felt something for her despite.

He took her head in his hands gentle, bent down and kissed her with much more passion than before. If he was going to go down this dangerous path, he was going to make sure he could take as much as she would allow. And Maker forbid Snoke finding out.

No. He would make sure to keep this between no one but her and him.

This would be their best kept secret.

She loved the way he felt and tasted. These feelings were brand new and exciting to her. She felt like she could stay there with him forever. Josie felt her whole body heat up and her heart rate was fast enough that she was sure it would explode.

They both pulled away, trying to ease their heavy breathing. He rested his forehead on hers, not letting his hands fall from her face.

Josie still had her arms wrapped around his waist, subtly feeling every tense muscle. She felt the darkness of the Force he harbored drift further away. Of course, it quickly came back when he tried composing himself and focus on the training once again.

"I think a break is needed from the Force. You should start physically training your body for intense runs and lifting."

"Intense runs and lifting?" she asked as he moved out of her embrace. "Why do you always shut me out every time something good comes around?"

As much as he loved her bluntness, it was hard for him to admire it now that he simply wanted to avoid any and all talk of kissing her. Not because he felt bad about it, but because he didn't want to wholly acknowledge how she was changing him. If he dared said anything aloud it would be more real true than it already was.

But he didn't want to leave her lost and confused.

"I am not shutting you out. We must focus now on training. More kissing later," he said, letting a small smile slip to his mouth.

Josie grinned. "Is that what it's called? Well then. Do you promise?"

"I promise. Now you will have to change into proper training gear in order to move properly." Kylo opened up a wardrobe in the training room, tossing her black leggings and a thin-strapped shirt.

He took off his robes and switched his shirt from his own formal gear to that of the training suits in the closet. Josie had to look away. When he was finished, he turned to her. "Are you going to change? I will turn around and you let me know when you are done."

The gesture was so innocent, but she blushed anyway. He turned away from her and she began to strip out of her homemade dress. She put on her new leggings and shirt. They were a lot snugger around her curves than anything she'd ever worn. It made her feel naked.

"Must I wear this. I feel exposed."

He chuckled. "It's convenient for training. You need to be able to move flexibly without anything in the way." Sensing that she was done, Kylo turned back to her, walking past her and picking up a few weights off in the corner.

Walking back to her, he handed them to her. She nearly dropped them, her back lurching down from the heaviness of the weights. "You want me to do what with these?"

Kylo bent down nonchalantly and placed his hands on her thigh to set it apart from her other leg. He fixed her stance, then stood back up.

"You will be squatting down and lifting the weights with each squat. When you stand you can place your arms and the weights to your side."

She nodded and watched him demonstrate while she mimicked his moves. Easy for him though, she thought with a scoff, these weights were heavy. With every squat, her legs and biceps began to burn. When he relieved her of the weights after many sets later, she fell to the ground wanting to get off her burning thighs. She was sweating.

"I think I like the mind stuff more," Josie said, letting out a laugh.

"The physical part of training is just as important as the Force part of it. You will have to fight some day and fighting doesn't just involve the mind but also the body." He walked over to her, staring down at her.

"Maybe I won't have to build any muscle," Josie began. "I could always surprise my enemy." She lifted her leg and knocked Kylo's feet out from under him so he landed on his back right next to her.

She giggled madly, her stomach clenching and tears falling down her cheeks. Ben laughed with her, hearing her laugh was like music to his ears.

Josie rolled over to her side to look at him. She rested her head on her hand, proper herself up with her elbow. "So, teacher, you think I'll be able to improve much within the month deadline that I have given you?"

His smile slowly faded away. He nodded however. "You are a fast learner. I might not have much more to teach you after a few more days."

"Hmm." She thought for a moment then grinned widely. "I think that means we can have a couple days away from training, yes? We could go on an adventure! Can we do that? I want to see another planet. I've never been to another planet in all my years on Takodana."

Kylo frowned at that. He felt like she was now his possession - yes, that was the proper term for it. He hated how she was raised in such isolation and loneliness. He should have killed Luke while he had the chance, but he was weak. If it wasn't for Luke's crazy obsession with the Light side, Josie would not have been so alone and hungry for attention and adventure. But if Luke and Maz weren't going to give that to her, he would make sure it was him who did.

For Ren, Luke and Maz made it all too easy to make the Dark look like the right side versus the constraints and weaknesses of the Light.

"Where would you like to go?" he asked evenly, being sure not to betray any emotions.

As she thought about the places she has heard of as she looked lovingly at every part of his face. She realized she knew of very little.

"I want to go where you were born."

Kylo now held a grave expression. "We do not go there. It is a planet full of traitors and murderers. I cannot take you there, it will put your life at risk."

Josie frowned. "Well, where can we go then? Anywhere would make me happy."

"I will surprise you. We will take my ship tomorrow and I will make a day of it. But right now, let's get back to training."

Josie gave a playful groan. "I don't have to use weights again, do I?"

He chuckled, already handing her the weights. "Yes, you do."

xxx

After training, Kylo went back to his duties while she went back to her room to shower and clean herself of the sweat. It was nearing dinner and she recalled quite clearly that she would be expecting Hux to knock any time soon now.

She had to now forget about her own clothing and wear the uniform tunic and leggings in the closet. They fitted quite nicely, though. Looking in the mirror, she actually didn't mind the dark color. It fit her just right.

It was much like the training gear she wore earlier, but fortunately it covered her much better.

Immediately after tugging at the collar to give her more breathing room, there was a knock on the door. She almost jumped from surprise.

When she opened the door, she managed to make her smile big with welcome. Hux, who stood there in his usual uniform and stern expression, raised a concerned brow at her eager happiness. It was strange to him and he began questioning what she was doing outside of a prison cell.

"Well, I must say Kylo Ren did not treat you any less than a friend…" Hux said quietly through his teeth. "Shall we walk to my chambers? I don't doubt the child has given you anything as sophisticated as grape juice. So my chambers, yes?"

Josie half-frowned at the way he talked about Kylo, but she nodded anyway, walking with him down more hallways and corridors to the more exquisite chambers. They were similar to hers and Kylo's but they seemed a lot more grand. Josie didn't think the room they'd given her was less luxurious than anything, but these rooms put her own to shame.

She didn't mind, however. It made her admire Ben all the more at his modesty for chambers.

Hux led her to his grand kitchen topped with a dining table fit for at least twelve people. She had never seen any table so wide and long. Everything there was like her own room but shinier and new by a thousand times. Josie didn't need any of it, she knew, but that didn't mean she wasn't in awe of how pretty and neat and clean it looked.

He offered his elbow again. Taking it, she was led to a bar stool placed in front of a counter in the kitchen. He walked around and opened the cabinet for two glasses and took out a bottle from a small fridge below the counter she sat at.

"Have you ever had wine before, Josie?" he asked, pouring the red liquid into the crystal glasses. She had never seen anything sparkle - except of course the crystals in that cave were much more so, but a glass sparkling? It was so pretty to look at. She almost didn't want to press her lips against it in fear of ruining the glass.

"Can't say I have." He handed her the glass and she sipped it. It was a sweet but with a certain kind of tang to it that she could only describe as stronger than any drink. Of course, she really only had water in her lifetime. "But I do like the taste. It's very different than anything I've had."

Hux smirked. "I'm glad to have given you the service of letting you taste something new."

"Well, I will admit that I have tried the unfortunate sludge in the fridge that was in my room. Mind you, I have no idea what it was but when I tried it, it wasn't anything I've ever seen or tried. What is that stuff?"

"Ah, that would be processed food which can last for months without going bad. I can imagine your stomach isn't used to anything but the freshest foods. I will be sure to make sure your fridge is constantly stocked with fresh foods."

Josie was taken aback. "Oh no! No. You are much too kind, but I wouldn't want to burden you with such a silly task. You have a whole ship to command. That's plenty. I've managed. No need to worry about me."

"Don't worry about it, Josie. It will be my pleasure. Besides, it isn't every day Supreme Leader Snoke has a special guest from the Light wandering our halls so freely. He must trust you greatly."

"I don't believe I know who that is."

"You will in due time. For now, we can enjoy the peacefulness of a quiet room and a glass of wine." He raised his glass and almost on instinct, she raised hers too, making their glasses clink.

Josie couldn't wipe the smile off her face even if she wanted to. "So. Tell me about the First Order and all its wondrous glory that I keep hearing about."

Hux sat down on the stool next to her now. He nearly drank the rest of what was in his glass and poured another. "Yes. Well, I don't know if you have heard of the Empire but some thirty years ago they fell after trying to bring Order back to the galaxy. We rose from the defeat of the Empire to bring back order in this galaxy of Jedi and chaos. We have been able to successfully bring Order back to most of the parts of the galaxy but there are still a few who resist us and won't stop trying to take us down until they are eradicated."

Josie thought about this for a moment. It was interesting to see how passionate and sure he was in his speech; however, FN was much the same but on the opposite spectrum of the subject. The question was: who is right? She had yet to know for sure yet. Both sides seemed so sure and so chaotic all the while both sides seemed right and wrong.

"Why not make peace? Maybe even a compromise?"

"The Resistance cannot be negotiated with. They are too vulgar and sure in their ways of taking us all down. And you will soon have a target on your back because of your association with us. But I admire your bravery in staying with us despite."

Josie didn't know that she would have someone out to get her simply by being here. At the same time, she couldn't wholly believe everything he was saying. Were there such cruel people to judge and kill her for simply making friends with others that decided to side with a group who called themselves The First Order? It seemed silly.

"Come over here." Hux took her hand and led her to the couch in front of a projection screen. He pressed some buttons on a remote, making the screen light up with images. "This is all the accomplishments of the Empire." One of the images was of a large spherical ship that was unlike any size she could comprehend. "It was unfortunately destroyed along with millions of lives. The Empire tried to replicate the death star, but of course it was destroyed once again by the Rebels killing many more. However, this time we have two weapons now and there isn't any way the Resistance will be able to stop us."

As much as she didn't like to hear of the death, she also didn't like hearing about the weapons to fight back either. "Your ray of light will fight them?"

He chuckled. "Our super weapon, yes. And you. You will be able to do so much for us once fully trained by Snoke. You may even be more powerful than he, I am told. There will be nothing the Resistance can do then."

Josie frowned. "I don't like the idea of destroying or killing anything."

"Sometimes people have to go to extremes for the greater good." Hux put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but she wasn't comforted by his logic of destroying and killing for the greater good.

She didn't see the greater good out of that.

He flipped through some more images until he got to the First Order base. There was a large army of white-armored troops gathered in neat rows. They were facing a very large red flag with a symbol on it.

Another image showed some of the staff working on their technical screens. Each image showed the hard work of every single person...working on the greater good.

She liked the idea of everyone working so efficiently together for one thing, but what good was it if that one thing was the destruction of lives?

No matter what she thought of the First Order, from what she knew the Resistance wasn't any better.

She quickly drank the rest of her wine and requested more without moving her gaze from the screen. He poured obligingly.

Unexpectedly, she felt something very powerful inside her. It was an emotion she could only describe as fury, but it was intense and not coming from her own being. That scared her.

 _Where are you?_

The voice in her head made her almost spill what was left in her glass after that second round of wine. It was menacing, but familiar just the same. What was she to do? Talk back in her head? That seemed so odd.

She did so anyway. _Why - how can you speak inside my head?_

Kylo poured his anger into her through the Force. It scared her. a sort through and didn't know which ones were her own or which ones were his.

 _I'm sorry, but I thought you said I wasn't a prisoner._ The way she said it made her surprised at her own self. She said it with such harshness. Never before had she been so hostile with the way she spoke to someone, but she felt like her freedom was diminishing the longer she stayed on this ship, and he had reassured her not long ago that she wasn't a prisoner and could go where she pleased.

 _Tell me you are not with Hux and I will let you alone for now._

 _For now? What is so wrong with Hux?_

Somehow, she felt his presence leave her mind at once; however, she didn't feel as relieved about that as she thought she should be.

"Are you alright?" she finally heard Hux say after coming out of her own mind.

"Oh, sorry, yes. What were you saying?"

"I was just about to ask you if you would like to finish that tour that was interrupted so rudely last time."

Josie nodded, not really thinking about the words he was saying. Kylo had spoken to her through her mind. How was such a thing possible? And if he could do such a thing, why now and why not tell her before?

Hux put away the glasses and wine. When he was finished, he held out his arm, but she was most hesitant taking it now. It made her feel guilty and afraid now somehow. None of those feelings made sense when she was fine with Hux before.

Kylo destroyed the happiness she felt in making another friend on the ship.

Josie sighed internally, but smiled at Hux. "I thank you for being so nice, but I think I should go back to my rooms -"

"If you are afraid of trouble, I can assure you that I will keep you safe. You are aboard my ship, Josie. There is no need to be afraid of anything," he said interrupting her.

There was a rising anger in her that scared her most of all because she knew it was coming from her. She wasn't angry at Hux or his assurance or anything that had much to do with him. No, she was angry at Kylo.

The anger went up a notch when there was the sound of the doors sliding open with a dark, unwelcomed figure appearing inside the room. Kylo stood before Hux and Josie, his rage could be felt by even Hux who was not Force-sensitive by any means.

For the first time, she saw fear in Hux's eyes.

"I think the proper thing would be to knock, Kylo," Josie said, feeling her own anger rise once more. This wasn't her.

"Hux, I believe you belong with the rest of your crew."

Hux cleared his throat, regaining his composure and his disgusted expression. "You shall not tell me where my place is, Ren. Might I remind you that you are currently in my chambers which you so rudely barged into."

Kylo walked up to the general, lowering himself down to get on the same level as Hux's face. "I will warn you one last time, General. Shall you distract my apprentice one more time, there will be a new captain of this ship."

Hux only swallowed, not able to find any words to use as a jab at the Force-user threatening him.

"If I am not a prisoner, I should be able to talk to whomever I please, Kylo Ren," Josie said, using his full Dark name.

"You should be off to your chambers. We will rise early for another training session." With that, he walked out of Hux's residence.

At first, Josie stood there in shock not understanding what had just happened. Not long after, however, she bid Hux a quick goodbye and found herself running to catch up to Kylo.

She was still angry.

"What was that about? You said I wasn't a prisoner. Why do I have to ask permission to leave my room?"

Kylo gritted his teeth. "You don't," he said, his voice noticeably softer even through the voice-distorting helmet. "But you will not associate with certain people on this ship."

"Like Hux? Why?"

"Because they will only do harm."

"Hux has told me more and is kinder than you sometimes are. You are so beautiful one moment, but then another and you are so harsh. Why?"

His strides grew longer and she had to almost jog to keep up with her short stature. He stopped immediately to look at her.

It wasn't him stopping or him turning to her or the aura of fury that finally left him that made her feel bad about what she said… No, it was her words alone that made her feel gross. She wanted to take them back, but it was too late. They were already out having been ingrained in his brain.

She felt tears prick her eyes. No, even in his anger he was still somehow the most beautiful person to her, and she couldn't imagine herself without seeing him every day.

Kylo on the other hand actually felt slightly more relaxed at her touch, but he was still angry at seeing her with Hux. The way she looked up at him with watery eyes, he was sure he had done it this time and she was going to request firmly that she go back to Takodana.

But to his surprise, she grabbed his gloved hand. "Come on. I think there are some weights and sabers in the training room calling to the both of us."

Josie immediately dragged him to the room, anxious to get there. When they did, she took her saber and gestured to get out his.

That's what shocked him the most.

If he was angry, she wanted him to let it out, even if it meant she had to see the ugliest part of him.

But she saw every single part of him as beautiful, and that was something she hoped he would one day truly see.


	8. An Awfully Big Adventure

**A/N:** In case anyone was curious, the time line for this story is Pre-Force Awakens, but we are catching up to the Force Awakens time line very quickly now, so just hang in there. We will be seeing Rey, Finn, Poe and the rest of the awesome new characters and old characters of the Star Wars universe very soon!

And sorry for such a long delay. Lots has happened. But I am writing this and another Kylo Ren/OC story with an OC almost opposite of this one and might be interesting. If you care enough to, be on the look out for that! It will be called _Wild and Caged._

 **Thank you so much:**

 **HappinessisMusic**

 **Ismira Shadeslayer**

 **Lurker128**

 **PrettyRecklessLaura**

 **I thank you guys so much for reviewing and continuing to read this! Love you guys!**

 **A Demon's Light**

* * *

"Tried to keep you close to me

but life got in between.

Tried to square not being there

but think that I should have been."

-James Bay 'Hold Back the River'

* * *

 **Chapter Seven: An Awfully Big Adventure**

The sparring, though slightly new and intimidating to her, she knew he needed it and it felt good to help him.

It was even quicker for her to learn to defend herself when she was just tossed into a fight. They spoke no words to each other except for Kylo who gave her a few tips here and there, but he felt it would be good for her to leap into something unknown so she would better learn to prepare for anything and everything that could be thrown at her.

Somehow, it worked. Within a few short hours of sparring in a wave of his rage, she managed to block him a good portion of the time. Her form was still lacking but everything else was nearly spot-on.

What also made her at such a disadvantage was when she seemed to shut out the Force when she was sparring. She refused to call on it for help when battling, which would be a great fault if she didn't start using the Force against her enemy.

Kylo was almost impressed with himself, but of course, not nearly as he was impressed with Josie.

"I think we should continue this next time. It's very late."

Josie deactivated her saber, feeling a little disappointed. She was having too much fun with him, but more so she didn't want to have to go to her room and leave his side. It was strange but fitting that she became so attached to someone so quickly. After all, having so little other people talk to her in her lifetime -

"Must we stop?"

He cocked a brow. "We won't get maybe five hours of sleep if we keep these up. We do have a trip tomorrow, remember?"

She smiled at that. "Oh, yes. I nearly forgot! I guess we should be off to bed then. Wouldn't want our trip cut short because either of us are tired. No fun in that. What will we be doing tomorrow?"

"It's a surprise. Come on. Let's go back to our chambers."

Josie sighed but nodded. As much as she wanted to stay with him all night, she knew he was right. They had a big adventure tomorrow and staying up all night wouldn't help them enjoy it. But how could Josie possibly sleep knowing Ben was just in the next room awaiting the next morning where they would get away from orders and responsibilities and enjoy a new place just the two of them?

Oh Maker, would she get any sleep?

xxx

Early that morning, not managing to get but a couple hours of sleep, Kylo Ren was summoned into the assembly chamber to speak with Snoke. Though irritated by the indecent time what with so little sleep and having to rise early to take Josie on a short trip, he managed to keep himself in check as he walked the bridge to the holo throne where Snoke sat.

"I feel you have changed, Master of Ren." He looked down at Kylo so suspiciously yet casual like nothing could touch him. Of course, that was very true considering he showed his physical form to no one.

"My duties for the First Order have not, Supreme Leader."

Snoke squinted. "Something in the Force has changed. I feel a powerful Force that somehow involves you, but can't quite make out how. Something is in the mix. How is the training with the girl?"

"She is more powerful and more adept with the Force than originally anticipated, Supreme. Even better, she is more willing to stay with us and deny any other alliance."

"On such short notice? Tell me, Ren, how have you been able to convince her?"

Ben hesitated. His jaw clenched, running quiet thoughts through his head. In all honesty he really didn't convince her of anything. He was simply himself and so far, she has not asked to go home - but the one time.

"I believe she trusts me, Leader. Her loyalties seem to lie with those she knows and are close to. With having so little contact with anyone, it wasn't difficult to gain her trust."

"Good work, Kylo Ren. But make sure of this," he began, leaning down his throne and getting close enough to Kylo to make him almost nervous, "Do not let this girl get in the way of your focus on the Dark Side of the Force. I feel your darkness wavering. Don't disappoint me."

"Never, Supreme Leader. You and the darkness are the only things for me. I won't let you down."

"Good," he said sternly and quickly. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten the map to Skywalker then?"

Unfortunately, he had. The map went completely out of his mind especially after first laying eyes on Josie. Everything from then on was all about her. He couldn't put her out of his mind. However, there wasn't any way he would let Snoke know of that.

"No, General Hux and I have been working vigilantly to hunt down the piece of the map. We have a lead. We believe the map is on the planet of Jakku in a small village named Tuanul. Hux is preparing the barracks and troops this very day and the assault will begin tomorrow."

"Good," he said again but this time with sickening pleasure. "I want you to report back immediately after you obtain the map. And once that is finished, bring the girl to me."

"So soon?" he asked, trying hard to hold back his surprise and fear.

"If what you say is true, I want her to pledge her allegiance to the First Order as soon as possible. With the newly acquired map, it is you and this girl whom I want to hunt Skywalker down and finish him."

"Of course, Supreme Leader."

"Go."

With that, Kylo walked out hastily regretting ever bringing Josie on board.

xxx

Somehow she managed to get a few hours. By blessing of the Force she was able to fall asleep within minutes of laying her head on the soft pillow.

Of course, she thought it helped when Ben escorted her to her room and said, "I will see you early morning and we will leave as soon as possible. Now, get some sleep for me." Yes, that helped her quite a bit.

Josie was all too excited when something woke her up. It was a strange awareness she felt in the Force that let her know it was time to get up and that Ben was up too. Then again, he had spoken to her in her heard through the Force.

She would have to ask him about that soon enough.

After taking a shower and putting on her clean dress she wore the very day she first saw him, she awaited the knock b y sitting on her couch with VB. He was beeping away, making small conversation and of course mocking her and Ben.

It was now his favorite pastime.

When he did finally come knocking at her door, she opened it with a wide smile. Surprisingly, he didn't have his helmet or his typical black combat robes on. He was wearing perfectly normal garb. She liked him much better looking less like a Dark Sider and more like a normal human; more like himself, but still, there was something inside that brewed within him. And she couldn't quite place the difference she felt in him this very morning.

"Don't get your hopes too high," he warned. "We will be taking some of the day to train."

She didn't care. She was too happy to see a brand new place to bother with what they were going to do there.

"This way. My pilot already has the ship ready to go." He led her to his black command ship docked in the ship bay. It was sleek and grand, more technical but darkly beautiful than she had ever seen before. She almost admired it.

The excitement in her was so strong that it was difficult to be a good passenger and keep seated. She wanted to jump up and look outside the window and she wanted to examine everything in that ship. She wanted to take everything in.

"You know how to fly a ship?" she asked Ben.

He chuckled. ."It is my ship after all. I mostly put it on autopilot however." He went to the control panel and flipped a few switched.

Ben felt proud to be able to show her new things. It gave him a sense of duty and purpose that didn't concern killing or destroying. It was simply pure and simple.

When she was done looking out the window and settling only slightly from being so anxious in excitement, she managed to look back at Kylo. "So, I've been meaning to ask you about how you spoke to me last night through my own head."

Kylo was hesitant to answer. "It's called a Force Bond. It forms between a Master and his or her padawan. It connects one to the other through the Force in ways no other person could. They share what the other experiences. Depending on the strength of the bond, you can project thoughts and feelings, and sometimes even know where the other is and what they're doing. Bonds such as these can be a great advantage in battle because you share each other's strengths and get better coordination, almost like the other is merely an extension of yourself."

"That sounds very…" she said, thinking for a moment, "intimate."

"I suppose," Kylo said, almost feeling uncomfortable.

Josie felt like she had a bit of power then; she wasn't the only one who could get uncomfortable.

"Why didn't you tell me of the Force bond before you decided to spew raging words in my head?" she asked more teasingly than angry.

"I wasn't sure if there was a strong one present; one that was enough to even speak of. I suppose the bond was stronger than I originally thought."

"Hmm. I think the sound of a bond sounds pretty amazing."

Just before anything more was said, the pilot called out that they had arrived and were landing in sixty-seconds. Sufficient ship, Josie thought.

They walked off into the heat of the planet. Everything was sand dunes and sand and even more sand. She knew on hot days on Takodana she avoided wearing anything dark, so she felt absurdly dressed with her black uniform under the two hot suns.

Kylo moved ahead of her, and she began following him. There was a bustling town in the near distance and they were headed straight for it. Never had she seen so many odd looking creatures speaking such unfamiliar languages.

"I've never seen a crowd so unique and diverse," she remarked in nothing but a whisper.

For putting her in such awe, he would have smiled, but Kylo Ren could not shake Snoke's request out of his mind. Looking at her now with her smiling at every person showing off their trinkets and wild fruits on a market stand and with her taking such time to converse with strangers in such an intricate manner, he couldn't possibly think of throwing her to the snake.

Josie took the offered pair of earrings from the elderly woman and put them up to her ears. She turned her head to the side along with tucking her hair behind her ear so the woman could praise how pretty they looked on such a beautiful lady.

He watched her pull a small sack out of her pocket and hand her a few credits.

"I could have paid that for you, Josie," he said.

She shook her head. "I have my own credits. I mean, it isn't much. Maz told me if I were ever in trouble or in need of something to use it. If course, I am in no need but I thought it would feel good to buy something nice all on my own. I've never been to a market before."

"Well, whether you like it or not, I will be paying for our meal," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Josie suppressed a smirk. "As you wish."

"Shall we train before we eat or sightsee?"

She sighed playfully. "Well, if we must train, I guess it would be better to get it over with now. What are your plans of torture today? Don't tell me you brought the weights with you!"

He chuckled. "No. Fortunately for you, training today won't consist of any lifting. Just sprints."

As they walked outside of the village, he gestured towards the sandy hills. She couldn't imagine trying to even walk quickly up such a slope let alone sprint. The ground beneath her wasn't like Takodana's dirt; it shifted much too easily. However, as much as she dreaded the workout in such a heat, she was much determined to impress and get it all over with so they both could continue the fun.

"Just sprint up and down the hills?"

He nodded. "Glad you wore black; it helps with your endurance of the heat."

"And here I thought you would pity my baking in the suns." She gave him a small smirk before she began her sprints.

Kylo Ren stood tall with his hands behind his back while he observed her. He kept telling her to straighten up and that her posture needed to be perfectly straight. Always bad form it seemed.

When she felt she had been soaked in sweat, she began regretting training before the fun. Now she was smelly and messy.

"Tired yet?" he mocked.

She stopped right in front of him, panting. "Oh sure, now you ask. You, sir, should try sprinting up and down these hills without sliding and falling."

"Shall we go eat lunch now?"

"As much as I've been dirty most of my life, I fear I smell and will probably upset some of the villagers."

"I've brought extra clothes on the ship. There is a body of water nearby if you would like to bathe."

"Are you going to bathe with me?"

His face immediately turned blank.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"I'll be waiting on the ship for you whenever you've changed."

Xxx

As she washed herself clean, her cheeks burned red.

When she asked Kylo if he would join her, she didn't think far enough ahead to notice that if he had said yes, they would both be in the water naked. She felt more embarrassed the more she thought about it. So she tried to shut the thought of seeing him out of her mind.

Kylo was just finished chatting with someone on a holo-table just as she entered the ship with her clean dress on. He looked worried and frustrated. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were glaring down at the table where she had seen just a glimpse of a blueish figure disappear.

"Is everything alright, Ben?"

He almost flinched at hearing his birth name. But all at once, something else caught his attention, something that was not inside the ship, but somewhere outside in the distance. Not a single window was in that compartment of the ship, but he was still somehow looking past the metal walls, feeling the Force, she was sure.

"What is it?"

He looked up at her. There was a forced smile, but the wrinkling and creases made her smile as well. She only wished he did it much more. It seems like no one in the First Order smiled all that much. Not unless it was mischievous smirk.

"It's actually a good thing," he said. "We are preparing for a raid tomorrow. What we have been looking for has been located and Hux is putting together a band of troops to fly out. We will have the map to Skywalker before tomorrow's over."

"Your uncle," she said in nothing but a whisper. He might have said it was a good thing but something was strange and unsuited with those words when comparing them to his expression.

"Hungry?"

The sudden mention of food made her stomach growl.

xxx

They were seated in a nice underground restaurant. The waiters were very tall droids with towels over their two left arms and a tray on either of their two right arms. There were only three in such a largely packed place.

"Correllian wine for you, sir? And what can I get for the Mrs?" the waiter asked. It turned to Josie, who had a confused look.

"The name is Josie," she said with a toothy smile. "I think I'll have the same."

"Forgive me, Ms. Josie. I'll bring you a bottle and then take your order. Is there anything else I can get for you?"

Kylo spoke, "That's all, thank you." He appeared less keen to smile than Josie was.

When the droid rolled away, Josie looked back at Ben. "Why did she call me Ms. Josie instead of Josie?"

"It's a term to label a woman married or unmarried."

"What about others like you?"

"You mean men? We just have Mister. That's about it. Nothing to distinguish one group to the others."

Josie suddenly smiled. A sort of amused kind of smirk where she was trying to suppress a laugh.

Kylo clenched his jaw. "What?"

"It thought we were married. That's a funny thought."

He nearly choked on his water.

Josie finally released her laugh. "Are my words making you so nervous, Ben?"

"The raid tomorrow; they expect you to join in. The Supreme Leader specially asks you to join."

"What am I supposed to do?" Josie felt suddenly uneasy. The word raid alone was enough to make her stomach flip.

The droid rolled over to their table, placing two glasses of wine in front of them and pouring about an inch or so of red liquid.

"What can I get you two to eat tonight?"

Kylo ordered them both Hors D'oeuvre with some wild fruit on the side. It sounded very strange and she almost began to worry about how her stomach would take it, but she trusted Ben to only ordered the most exquisite meal. After all, he seemed to hold a high ranking on the ship. She even recalled someone calling him Prince Ren of the First Order.

It was almost fantastical to Josie; like a fairy tale.

It accepted the order and rolled back to the other customers; tables.

"You're supposed to find the piece of the map that leads to Skywalker. If anyone stands in your way, you get rid of them. You have to do everything you can to find that map."

"Get rid of?"

Kylo opened the bottle of wine and poured more into his glass and more into hers. "How about we enjoy tonight and not speak of tomorrow's raid?"

Josie nodded, sipping her now full glass.

"So when you had that vision of that day that you confronted your uncle, what did you think of it?"

"Not much because I wasn't sure if it was real or not."

Josie looked at her glass of wine which was still nearly full and then looked at Kylo's whose glass was almost empty. She knew the drink made you different, so she couldn't quite bring herself to drink much more. She wouldn't forget the night before with Hux.

The droid eventually brought the food and they ate and talked about the rules of the First Order.

"Why did you turn against your parents?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I like you a lot, Ben. And want to know more about you."

He stared at her for a long moment. His eyes searched every centimeter of her face. She felt like she was in a spotlight, a warm and gentle spotlight.

Kylo finished the last of the wine, standing up and laying down a stack of credits onto the table. He took her hand in such a rush that she didn't have time to mention the fact that he didn't finish his meal entirely. He led her out of the restaurant.

It was now almost completely dark. The villagers had all gone indoors to settle for the night.

The soft sound of their shuffling feet barely pierced the quietness of the village. As he took her to his ship, he immediately pressed a button to closed the door, kissing her more fiercely than he had ever before.

The intense sparks shot through her body to her mind, rendering it blank to any thoughts. She felt his tongue into her mouth as he hoisted her against the wall. At first she was too unfamiliar to respond with confidence, but she soon surrendered any hesitation when she felt his hands gently caressing her face.

She felt the heat surging through every part of her body as he moved one hand to her neck and one far down her back. She felt something strange in her lower stomach and something in her gut that shouted for him to somehow come closer.

All at once he stopped and took his shirt off, putting his hands then under her shirt, lifting it up over her head.

Josie felt free to rub her hands over his chest and stomach. They felt a lot rougher and harder than her own body.

The curiosity began to overpower the heat of the moment.

She took off her undergarment to expose her chest. She set herself down with her feet firmly on the floor. As she slipped her leggings and underwear down, she kept her eyes on his.

To Kylo's surprise, she was as open and confident as a girl who had done this a million times, but he knew better.

"If we are different up here," she began gesturing to her chest. "Are we also different down here?"

It was then that Kylo remembered just how much she didn't know and how little she knew about natural human interactions. He suddenly didn't want to take a step further.

When she noticed his slight hesitation, she stepped closer to him, wrapping her fingers in his hair and kissing him slowly.

In between kisses, she found herself whispering, "I want you closer to me." She tugged down at leggings, pulling them off gently so he wasn't in anything but undergarments. She was ready for the last piece of clothing to come off, but he stopped her.

"Are you sure you want to go further?"

Josie smiled. "Of course, I am." She kissed him passionately, finally getting rid of the garment. And when she believed there was a difference between their bodies, she didn't know just how different.

"That's really different from me," she noted, looking at him.

His jaw clenched at her openness of looking at him.

She smiled at him, relishing making him uncomfortable.

Josie took his face in her small hands and kissed him, trying not to giggle. "I think this whole time there was something missing, but I didn't know until it was filled again."

Kylo looked at her intently, laying her gently on her back onto the floor. "Ever since I first had that vision of you, I know I had to find you. I spent so long eventually giving up, but right when I gave up, I found you."

"Your Light Force left for a reason. You drove it out. I feel that the First Order isn't as right as they say they are. Maybe your Uncle is in the right. The Jedi...I know he is a Jedi. They are of the Light. You tried to kill him. Is it the Darkness that you chose?"

Kylo Ren grew frustrated. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"It just came into my head when you spoke about the vision. I'm trying to understand you because when I woke up on that ship, all I felt was an ominous darkness and when I'm with you, I can ignore it, but I won't ignore it forever. I can't." She looked at him and saw the darkness creep into his eyes. Josie put a hand on his face, but he pushed it away and stood up, putting his clothes back on.

Josie felt a strange fire inside her. Not the kind that felt beautiful like when she was kissing him, but the kind where she just wanted to yell at him that he was making wrong choices; that he was going down the wrong path.

"I might seem ignorant. I might say next to nothing about a lot of things, but one thing I know is that there is darkness surrounding that ship and I don't want a part of it."

He clenched his jaw, gripping her upper arms. "I am a part of you, and no matter what you think about my path, you can't change it and you can't leave me. You are me."

Josie looked at him with a kind of anger and fear he didn't know she had. She slowly back away, water threatening to spill over her lids.

She turned away from him, unable to look him in the eye.

Without another word, he started the ship back to base, leaving Josie in the back to curl up and stare at the floor, wondering if she could really ever leave.


End file.
